Puglia chestnut harvests collapse by over 90%

Chestnut harvests in Puglia, Italy, have collapsed by more than 90% compared to average years, according to monitoring by Coldiretti Puglia. The decline is most severe in key production areas such as Gargano, Murgia, and parts of Salento.

The crisis is driven by prolonged drought and high temperatures, which have caused significant vegetative stress and prevented the formation and maturation of chestnuts. These climatic factors are compounded by the presence of the chestnut gall wasp (Dryocosmus kuriphilus), an invasive insect from China that causes galls on shoots and weakens the plants.

This situation represents one of the worst years on record for the sector, impacting not only the local economy but also the biodiversity and landscape of the region's internal areas.