Rising temperatures, drought and a possible insect infestation are threatening the Italian countryside and crops, sector experts have warned.
A new study by the National Association of Agronomist and Forestry Doctors show a rise in average temperatures, a drop in rainfall and an increasing number of climate anomalies.
Recalling that his association had produced a report 20 years ago warning of precisely this danger, President Pantaleo Mercurio said it was "now partially too late".
"And the repercussions are potentially devastating," he said.
In addition to weather anomalies such as frost and hail, crops and biodiversity are at risk from ever-milder winters. This means many plants will bud early and die, as is already happening in certain parts of the country, according to the report.
The study was published amid warnings from several other sectors, as Italy faces one of its warmest winters on record.
Coldiretti, one of Italy's largest farmers associations, on Tuesday said the country's rivers, lakes and water reserves were at their lowest levels in 50 years.
Farmers nationwide were at real risk of a drought this spring if the situation continued, it said.
"An already critical situation is aggravated by the ongoing lack of rainfall, which was only a third of its normal levels in November and December," according to Coldiretti.
"This makes it impossible to replenish water reserves, which are essential for coming months when crops will need irrigating".
It said agriculture looked set to be hit even worse this year than in 2006, when a billion euros of damage was caused by draught, heat and bad weather.
Meanwhile, the Institute of Biometeorology (IBIMET) said the mild winter also posed an indirect threat to Italian farms and countryside by increasing the risk of insect invasions.
"Mild temperatures in winter raise the likelihood of insect attacks, so it is easy to imagine what will happen with a winter that is not just mild but positively warm, like this one has been," said IBIMET Director Giampiero Maracchi.
Cold winters, he explained, usually kill off a great many larvae. But the warm weather means the insect populace will be far more resistant as well as more numerous.
Locust invasions could also be on the cards, said Maracchi.
"They usually winter in North Africa and move with the air currents. With air currents moving from south to north, as well as elevated temperatures, there is a strong chance of locusts arriving," he explained.
However, it is not just crops that are at risk but also Italy's woodland. The trees, stressed by the unusual heat, make easy pickings for parasites, according to IBIMET.
