Hunting in Lunigiana: The story of Lucia and Manolo: brave entrepreneurs "killed" by wild boars. The Paghezzana apple or the Mela dall'Olio, the "pollera" or "marinello" grape variety: native varieties threatened by the presence of ungulates. Abandonment of campaign risk for community and territorial stability.
Vincenzo Tongiani, Provincial President of Coldiretti: “Indigenous varieties at risk: their place will be taken by international ones”. Ungulates threaten the future of precious and rare native varieties. There are apples and apples, vines and grapevines, but of apple rotella di Paghezzana or apple dall'Olio, as well as the "pollera" or "marinello" speaking of vines there are not so many still for fields and terraces : “Species” of our agricultural history in danger of extinction, wildlife is putting their resistance to the test, frustrating the efforts and investments of farmers who have passionately valued them and brought them back to our tables.
Lucia Pellitti, a well-known entrepreneur in Fosdinovo, President of the Cooperative Producers Society of Fosdinovo, is well aware of this. In a few days she had the fruits of what should have been her "first apple harvest" "stolen". Not just any apples: Paghezzana apples. A "rare" variety that Lucia has recovered and replanted in her apple orchard, near Monte Nebbione. Roe deer and wild boars have "devoured" its crop, damaging at least 2 thousand plants in production, including native varieties and others. The missed harvest will be between 100-150 quintals. Manolo Lucchini, winegrower and producer of an excellent Igt Val di Magra, owner of the “La Vigna” farm in Licciana Nardi, is also well aware of this, who still does not believe his eyes when he looks at the rows. At least 15 quintals of grapes were “stripped” not to mention the damage to the vines, the “furrows” between the rows and the general havoc caused by the nocturnal hordes of wild boars. It all happened in a few nights.
Like thieves do. "Extraordinary withdrawals are late - admits Lucchini - next week I start collecting but the damage is now done". An emergency, that of the frantic and out of control presence of wild boars, which Coldiretti (info on www.massacarrara.coldiretti.it) has reported several times asking, even not later than yesterday, extraordinary and timely withdrawals from the Provincial Administration, subject in charge of authorizing the Territorial Hunting Area, and therefore the hunters, to intervene in the 10 municipalities where the repeated presence of damage has been reported. According to Coldiretti, the presence of wild boars and ungulates is helping to drive many farmers and many hobbyists away from our mountains: "fatigue and investments are thwarted by the uncontrolled presence of ungulates - explains Vincenzo Tongiani, Provincial President of Coldiretti - which discourages and favors abandonment often marginal land contributing to the hydrogeological instability of some hamlets.
The presence of agriculture, professional but also and often part-time in areas such as Lunigiana where the culture of the domestic garden is deeply rooted, is of extreme importance: the whole community risks paying a high price ”. In Lucia's apple orchard, wild boars and roe deer have been over and over again despite recent and electric wire: “they broke through the fence and ate, as well as apples, also flowers so I won't even pick next season. Now I am forced, to get by, to plant some vegetables and to hope for the oil season ”. Lucia's apples are destined for direct sale and processing into preserves and fruit juices for the Campagna Amica circuit: "my next harvest will be in 2015. I have invested a lot, but I have not yet reaped my fruits". Manolo, in Licciana Nardi, sees wild boars running around like "pets" in the garden. “La Vigna” is located in an area rich in indigenous varieties that also have a conservation function of the territory. “Every year there has always been some damage, here and there. But acceptable in proportion. This year - he says - is something never seen before. They devoured the grapes and dug into the vineyards causing craters. We are no longer saved ”.
What worries Coldiretti is the progressive abandonment of the countryside in part linked to a generational datum, but in percentage connected precisely to the massive presence of ungulates: "ungulates are putting at risk all those varieties linked to the territory they represent - concludes Tongiani - our history , our roots, our agricultural culture at the expense of international varieties that homologate the products and make us exactly the same as all the others. It is not just an economic damage but an incalculable cultural and agricultural damage ”.
25.09.2013