![Oranges wither, cows go hungry in drought-hit Sicily](https://www.berlinertageblatt.de/media/shared/articles/67/50/f7/Oranges-wither--cows-go-hungry-in-d-270017.jpg)
-
Multiple people shot along highway in US state of Kentucky
-
'Super proud' Sabalenka downs Pegula to win US Open thriller
-
In Papua New Guinea, Pope holds mass 'at the edge of the world'
-
Hewett stays positive for wheelchair tennis despite agonising defeat
-
Three things on US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka
-
Sabalenka downs Pegula to win US Open thriller
-
USA men land Paralympic basketball three-peat, Jiang takes 7th swim gold
-
USA slump to first home defeat against Canada in 67 years
-
Argentina hand Australia record 67-27 loss in Rugby Championship
-
England impress on Carsley bow, Germany, Dutch hit five
-
AFP photographer wins top prize for Gaza coverage
-
No Love for Packers for three weeks after ligament sprain: reports
-
Pedro Almodovar: chronicler of modern Spain crowned in Venice
-
Almodovar wins top Venice prize for end-of-life film
-
Trump sounds dark tone at rally, Harris 'ready' for debate
-
Wirtz and Musiala dazzle to kick-start new Germany era
-
Chinese teenager takes 7th gold of Paris Paralympics
-
England interim boss Carsley 'respects' divided opinions over anthem
-
Neuville moves to the front in the Acropolis Rally
-
Garfield, Pugh charm Toronto in new romance 'We Live in Time'
-
21 boys confirmed dead in Kenya school inferno
-
Over 100,000 protest in France against new prime minister
-
Golden 30 minutes takes China to swimming Paralympics swimming domination
-
Green leads Australia to T20 series sweep of Scotland
-
Nigeria, Cameroon win afer chaotic AFCON build-ups
-
Nicole Kidman: A-lister, cinematic chameleon, wins in Venice
-
'I had to prove myself', says Kolisi after win against All Blacks
-
Almodovar wins top prize at Venice film festival
-
Grealish savours England redemption after 'worst summer'
-
Carsley makes flying start as England interim boss in win over Ireland
-
Springboks close on Rugby Championship with storming win over All Blacks
-
Sri Lanka's De Silva and Kamindu Mendis defy England in third Test
-
Farrell's Racing lose on opening day of Top 14
-
Ireland and UK to 'reset' relations as Starmer visits Dublin
-
Dunbar takes second Vuelta stage as Roglic closes in on victory
-
Fritz eyes US Open glory to end 21 years of American hurt
-
Thousands protest in France against new prime minister
-
Death toll from Kenya school blaze rises to 21
-
Brazil's right rallies for 'freedom' after X suspended
-
Trump to hold rally in swing state, Harris preps for debate
-
Stone at the double as Sri Lanka collapse against England in third Test
-
French tennis player takes legal action over online abuse
-
Italy backs Kyiv's 'legitimate defence' as Zelensky presses allies
-
The Body Shop rescued from administration after deal
-
Martin roars to victory in San Marino sprint, extends MotoGP lead
-
Smoke and screams: The horror of Kenya's school dorm inferno
-
MotoGP leader Martin roars to victory in San Marino sprint
-
Ireland and UK to 'reset' relations as Starmer begins Dublin visit
-
Ma Lin turns brutal encounter with bear into glorious Paralympic career
-
Flintoff appointed England Lions head coach
![Oranges wither, cows go hungry in drought-hit Sicily](https://www.berlinertageblatt.de/media/shared/articles/67/50/f7/Oranges-wither--cows-go-hungry-in-d-270017.jpg)
Oranges wither, cows go hungry in drought-hit Sicily
Marilina Barreca has two grim options: feed her cows tainted fodder or set them to graze on barren hillsides as Sicily battles a crop-devastating drought which is sucking reservoirs dry.
Regional authorities in the southern Italian island declared a state of emergency earlier this month, after the winter rains hoped for following last year's punishingly hot summer failed.
"The situation is tragic," Barreca told AFP as she looked out over the Madonie Mountains, where her cows range free in pastures once rich with tufted grasses, but where there is little now for grazing.
The circular feeder at the top of one rise holds hay -- but it is of such poor quality the cows will not eat it.
Sicily is not alone. Drought has struck across the Western Mediterranean, with severe impacts on northern Africa, parts of Spain and other areas of Italy, including Sardinia.
Experts say climate change driven by human activity is boosting the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and droughts -- but also heavy rain.
Storms swept across the island during the hay-making period in April and May, damaging the fodder and turning it into a breeding ground for poisonous toxins.
Since then, it has barely rained.
- 'Almost total aridity' -
Barreca, 47, who runs the farm with her sister, is spending almost 3,000 euros ($3,255) extra a month on fodder just to keep her 150 cows alive.
The poor quality hay means the animals struggle to get the necessary nutrients and energy, producing around 17 or 18 litres a day of milk, compared to their usual 27 to 30 litres.
Barreca, who is also a vet, says she knows of cows which have been poisoned by mouldy fodder on other farms and "cannot get pregnant, abort calves, end up at the slaughterhouse or die outright".
"We need to import good quality fodder, but the costs are absolutely prohibitive," she said.
Sicily -- which set a European heat record in 2021, at 48.8 degrees Celsius (119.8 degrees Fahrenheit) -- has experienced eight months of "almost total aridity", according to the ANBI Observatory on Water Resources.
The region's agrometeorology service said the second half of 2023 was the driest in over 100 years, and a couple of days of recent rainfall had little to no impact.
With no chance to replenish its reservoirs, Sicily has been forced to ration water in dozens of towns, and farmers say wheat fields, citrus orchards, olive groves and vineyards have all been affected.
- Withered fruit -
Vito Amantia, 67, crumbles dusty clods of earth between his hands as he searches in vain for seeds sown at the end of November, "which should have produced wheat 50 centimetres high by now".
Large sections of a regional water pipe lie next to his land, still unconnected years after works began.
At Amantia's orange grove, in the usually mineral-rich soil near the Etna volcano, the fruit on the trees is much smaller than usual, or has withered on the branch.
He is one of few farmers with a private well -- but high electricity costs mean he has to limit water.
"I'm nearly 70 years old, I don't remember ever seeing anything like this, or hearing that my father or grandfather experienced similar," he said.
Amantia, who is a local representative for the Coldiretti national farmers' association, said around 30 percent of citrus producers in the Catania region risked closure.
Droughts in Sicily are set to be increasingly frequent, as are heavy rains and heatwaves, according to Andrea Toreti, coordinator of the Copernicus European and Global Drought Observatories.
"What is really of concern is that our forecast for the coming three months for the Mediterranean shows much higher temperatures than usual," he told AFP.
"And we know these temperatures exacerbate and amplify the effects of the drought," he said.
- Desertification -
Some 70 percent of Sicilian territory is at risk of desertification, not only due to long periods without rain, but also to uncontrolled urbanisation and the waste of water, ANBI says.
The island has destroyed 95 percent of its wetlands in the past 150 years through drainage for conversion to urban or farm land, despite the key role the areas play in preventing drought.
The region now plans to use purified waste water to help struggling farmers, but environmental groups warn many water treatment plants on the island are not in line with EU regulations.
And a vast amount of the water that could go to homes or farms is simply lost: over 52 percent of water in the Sicilian network leaks out through ageing and poorly maintained pipes.
"Sicily's been asleep for 30 years. This drought is what neglect looks like", Amantia said.
L.Janezki--BTB