Vercelli President defends rice farming water usage

Davide Gilardino, President of the Province of Vercelli, has challenged claims that rice cultivation is a primary driver of water consumption in the Piedmont region. Responding to recent media reports, Gilardino argued that agriculture, specifically rice farming, actually helps return water to the territory rather than merely consuming it.

According to data provided by the Associazione Irrigazione Ovest Sesia (AIOS), which manages irrigation across Vercelli, Biella, and Alessandria, the system utilizes a cyclical process. While approximately 1.5 billion cubic meters of water are withdrawn from the Po, Dora Baltea, and Sesia rivers during the irrigation season, the network returns about 1.2 billion cubic meters to the natural system through surface and groundwater channels.

The remaining 300 million cubic meters contribute to recharging aquifers, through evaporation, or evapotranspiration, with only a very limited amount being retained by the crops.