00:00Months of heat and drought have shrunk this year's white truffle harvest in northern Italy.
00:05Hunters in the hills around Alba traditionally begin the season on October 1st.
00:09Italy's National Center for Truffle Studies says October was hit by little rain in July and August,
00:15plus high temperatures. That meant poor production and poor shelf life.
00:20Dry, compacted soils also produced smaller truffles this season.
00:23A white truffle is a fungus that depends on cool, moist soil and tree roots.
00:28Recent rains have improved conditions and helped larger truffles appear.
00:33Even so, prices at Alba's truffle market are running about 20% to 30% higher than last year.
00:40Hotels have largely sold out during the International White Truffle Fair, which runs until December 6th.
00:46Experts say this year stands out from a trend of hotter summers and erratic rain.
00:50Reforestation can help lower soil temperatures and retain moisture.
00:54Disclosure. This video contains stock footage and content created or enhanced using AI-assisted tools.
