Rainfall in July and August reached record levels and now the confederation has asked the Italian government to increase funding in order to bring relief to many affected farms. It is even calling for funds to be redirected away from other rural and social efforts to repair structural damage and bring emergency aid to those growers who are in serious danger of losing their entire livelihoods.

'The European Commission should also make available a reorganisation in funding in the same way it did for Germany and Austria,' concluded the confederation.

Storms continued to affect central and southern areas of Italy right up to the end of August, with one 48-hour period causing £46m of damage to vegetable, grape, glasshouse crops and tobacco production.

Estimates of the total damages for what has been a black year for Italian agriculture could reach £2m following frosts at the start of the year, drought, rain and hail storms.

This is just under 10 per cent of the total value of agricultural production in Italy with horticulture being one of the hardest hit sectors.

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