Sicily has an extraordinary harvest, but drought relief is urgently needed.

" This year, nature has gifted us with an incredible harvest, the likes of which we haven't seen in a long time ," confirms Diego Cusumano, a Sicilian winemaker who, together with his brother Alberto, owns the eponymous winery, one of the most recognized labels in Italy and abroad. " This has given a huge boost to all of us Sicilian producers, who must deal not so much with Trump's tariffs , which I believe will be metabolized by 2026, but with the enormous threat of drought that looms not only over Sicily but over the entire agricultural system of Southern Italy."

ISPRA, the Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, calculated that in 2024, Sicily was the region most affected by the precipitation deficit (-25%). In 2024, just over 500 mm of rain fell compared to a long-term annual average from 1951 to 2024 of approximately 665 mm. ISPRA also observed that the water reduction in the Sicilian district was -49% (-55% in the Sardinia district and -39% in the Southern Apennines district). Sicily is not the only region suffering from a lack of precipitation: Puglia also has an annual precipitation deficit of -23% compared to the long-term average, and Molise and Basilicata have a deficit of -20%.

"We need to invest now, urgently, " Diego Cusumano vigorously urges, " in water, which is our greatest challenge. We need to act consistently, with significant investments, but above all with a roadmap that doesn't consider partisan interests and goes beyond governments and legislatures ," Cusumano emphasizes. " Water to quench the thirst of the fields, the lands, nature, Sicilians, and foreign tourists, where without an ecosystem there is no tourism. And because a dry year isn't solved by rain the following year, but has repercussions on vegetation, crops, and the entire ecosystem in subsequent years, " concludes winemaker Cusumano. Meanwhile, avocado cultivation is increasing in Sicily, replacing vines .

"We entrepreneurs are doing our part, with commitment and sacrifice. However, " Cusumano emphasizes, " it is now up to the State, the relevant ministries, and the Region to do their part and go beyond proclamations. Sicily ," explains the entrepreneur and winemaker, " needs far-sighted planning , a thoughtful, multi-year, and coherent roadmap of investments, which has always been lacking."