Rice fields dry up as Italy’s drought lingers on

By PAOLO SANTALUCIA
Associated Press

MORTARA, Italy (AP) — The worst drought Italy has faced in 70 years is thirsting paddy fields in the river Po valley and jeopardizing the harvest of the premium rice used for risotto. Italy’s largest river, which is turning into a long stretch of sand due to the lack of rain, is leaving the Lomellina rice flats — nestled between the river Po and the Alps — without the necessary water to flood the paddies. The lack of rainfall has brought governors of various Italian regions to declare a state of emergency in order to conserve water and coordinate the management of minimal water resources.