REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Wine output in Italy looks set to fall 12% this year to below 44 million hectolitres after extreme weather and fungal diseases severely hit vineyards, Italian wine lobbies UIV and Assoenologi said on Tuesday. The tumble means Italy will lose its position as the world's largest wine producer, with France set to reclaim the number one spot for the first time in nine years. In a joint statement with food and agriculture institute ISMEA, the lobbies said that northern Italian regions were set to register a small 0.8% growth in output. "From the 2023 harvest we will certainly obtain good quality wines, with peaks of excellence," he said. Reporting by Federica Urso and Romolo Tosiani editing by Federico Maccioni/Keith WeirOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Persons: Sergio Zingarelli, Jennifer Lorenzini, Assoenologi, grapevines, Riccardo Cotarella, Livio Proietti, Federica Urso, Federico Maccioni, Keith Weir Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Chianti, Greve, Italy, France