Europe’s top rice producer Italy has seen consumption of the staple rise throughout the coronavirus pandemic, putting even pasta in the shade. It’s not just popular at home either — China itself has even signed a deal to import Italian rice. The Chinese have their eyes on varieties used to make typical risotto dishes. Spread over 220,000 hectares (545,000 acres) and cultivated by 4,200 producers in all, Italian rice production totals an annual 1.5 million tonnes.
Italy on Saturday shut all non-essential factories after recording another record coronavirus toll that brought its fatalities to 4,825. The country’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said that they will stop down the country’s productive engine, but we will not stop it. Italy has notched a rapid succession of records that seemed unimaginable when a retired Italian builder became the first person in Europe to die of the new illness.
Government of Italy is planning to invest €40 million on social sectors in Pakistan in collaboration with Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF). According to the Italian Ambassador to Pakistan, Stefano Pontecovero, Italy hopes to invest more in youth development policies to empower the future of the country and contribute towards a prosperous tomorrow as Pakistan’s youth that is 65 percent of the population posses immense potential.