'To end our special news bulletin,' said the voice of the television announcer,' we are
taking you to the macaroni fields of Calabria. Macaroni has been grown in this area for
over six hundred years. Two of the leading growers, Giuseppe Moldova and Ricardo Brabante,
tell me that they have been expecting a splendid crop this year and harvesting has begun
earlier than usual. Here you can see two workers who, between them, have just finished
cutting three cart-loads of golden brown macaroni stalks. The whole village has been working
day and night gathering and threshing this year's crop before the September rains. On the
right, you can see Mrs Brabante herself. She has been helping her husband for thirty years
now. Mrs Brabante is talking to the manager of the local? factory where the crop is processed.
This last scene shows you what will happen at the end of the harvest : the famous Calabrian
macaroni-eating competition ! Signor Fratelli, the present champion, has won it every year
since 1961. And that ends our special bulletin for today, Thursday, April 1st. We are now
returning you to the studio.'