Severe hailstorm damages Italian melon and grape harvests

A violent hailstorm struck parts of northern and central Italy in late May and early June, bringing more than 50 mm of rain and hail in 10–15 minutes. In the Mantova province, the Destra Secchia area around Moglia di Sermide saw melons, watermelons, fruit trees and corn flattened, with additional damage to cars and crops in nearby towns such as Ostiglia, Rivarolo Mantovano and Sabbioneta. The event also impacted other provinces from Lombardy to Veneto, Emilia‑Romagna and central Italy. Codima, the agricultural defence consortium for Mantova and Cremona, has recently introduced an artificial‑intelligence assistant to help farmers compare and understand insurance policies, noting that insurance uptake remains stable compared with the previous year.

Further south in the Marche region, vineyards in Serra de’ Conti and Montecarotto were hit, leaving up to 60 % of the grape crop at risk as vines were broken and bunches crushed. Growers rely on insurance but face deductibles, and they are urging stronger support from the EU Common Agricultural Policy to increase resources for insurance tools and damage compensation.