Tunisia: Climate change damages up to 50% of grapes

 Tunisia's hot summer has hit the local wine industry, damaging or destroying grapes and leaving farmers and vintners to fear for their future as climate change brings hotter, drier weather to North Africa.

Estimates of how far wine output has fallen vary, from a roughly 20% drop according to the Agriculture Ministry's Kilani Belhaj, to a reduction of 40-50% according to Vineyard Producers' Syndicate head Salim Chaouch.

Climate change has impacted both the quantity and quality of production, with a broad effect on the sector. Farmers had to delay harvesting the crop to achieve acceptable sugar levels in the grapes but it will inevitably affect quality.

More information here: Tunisian heatwave hits wine output | Reuters