The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country / Horticulture

Tomato disaster looms for Italy

By John Phillips
NZ Herald·
25 Jul, 2010 04:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Photo / Supplied

Photo / Supplied

A new chapter is about to be added to the history of Italian disasters. It may not be quite up there with the Fall of Rome or Vesuvius erupting, but the Great Tomato Massacre of 2010 is bad news for a country which has the humble but versatile pomodoro at the heart of its culinary life.

The farmers' trade union, Coldiretti, said yesterday production of the tomato was down as much as 25 per cent because of exceptionally high temperatures.

After getting battered by heavy rains that pounded much of Italy last month, the plants are now being scorched. "The heat has led to a tomato massacre," Coldiretti said.

The average harvest of pomodori per hectare of land will tumble from 80,000kg last year to 60,000kg this year, said the union.

Rolando Manfredini, a food expert working for Coldiretti, said: "Above 30C, plants become stressed and are no longer able to grow, in spite of irrigation. The fields have been caught in a pincer of extreme weather - first the torrential rains of last month flooded the fields and prevented roots developing, while now the heat and humidity are weakening the tomatoes, which dry up, making flowers and fruit fall.

"A reduction in yields of 20 per cent is disastrous for tomato farmers, as their profits are well below 20 per cent."

Irate farmers took to the streets last week, demanding government support. Dairy farmers, meanwhile, report their cows are producing 15 per cent less milk than normal because of the heat.

Farmers have set up showers, fans and air-conditioning in their cowsheds, as well as giving the cattle potassium salts in their food.

- INDEPENDENT

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Horticulture

Premium
The Country

Tasman truffle farm weathers storm to supply top restaurants

The Country

Food stats shock: Prices soar as fruit and veges follow butter spike

The Country

'Game-changer': Orchardist tackles gull invasion with lasers


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Horticulture

Premium
Premium
Tasman truffle farm weathers storm to supply top restaurants
The Country

Tasman truffle farm weathers storm to supply top restaurants

Supply is down but 76-year-old Riwaka truffle farmer is not out following Friday's deluge.

18 Jul 10:02 PM
Food stats shock: Prices soar as fruit and veges follow butter spike
The Country

Food stats shock: Prices soar as fruit and veges follow butter spike

16 Jul 11:24 PM
'Game-changer': Orchardist tackles gull invasion with lasers
The Country

'Game-changer': Orchardist tackles gull invasion with lasers

12 Jul 05:00 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP