Drought: Crop yields down by up to 45% - Coldiretti

(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 25 - Italy's severe drought has caused crop yields to fall by up to 45%, farmers association Coldiretti has said.
    It said production of corn and fodder for animal feed was down by 45%, while rice and wheat yields had dropped by 30%.
    It said fruit yields were down by 15% while a fifth of cultivated clams and muscles had died because of the lack of water flowing in the Po delta.
    Milk production is down 20% because of cows being stressed by the extreme heat.
    "It is necessary to intervene immediately with emergency measures to save crops and the futures and farms that are in serious difficulty," said Coldiretti, President Ettore Prandini.
    Scientists say that extreme weather events like the heat waves that are currently hitting many parts of Europe, supercharged storms, flooding and droughts are becoming more frequent and more intense because of climate change caused by human activity.
    (ANSA).