Northern Italy’s renowned rice-growing heartland is facing a severe drought, with farmers in Pavia province warning that drinking rivers, depleted reservoirs and persistent heat are leaving the paddy fields too dry to even sustain crops. With irrigation water becoming scarce, weeds are rapidly taking over the parched fields, raising fears of lower yields in one of Europe’s major rice-producing regions. According to Europe’s Po River District Basin Authority, several rivers across Northern Italy are currently facing difficult hydrological situations due to the below-average rainfall and prolonged humid temperatures.
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