A meeting with the Prefect of Cagliari to convey to Rome, through him, the cry of alarm from the island's farmers and cereal growers , grappling with a crisis that is being defined as "a real social and democratic dispute, no longer just an economic one".
The summit in Piazza Palazzo was attended by, in addition to the Prefect, a trade union delegation from the CIA Cagliari Sud Sardegna , the administration of the Province of Medio Campidano and a representation of the mayors of the area.
The meeting, it is reported, "arose from the strong push and mandate received during the crowded CIA assembly in Serrenti on June 12, which focused on the fate of Sardinian cereal farming and the dramatic risk of depopulation in the inland areas of Medio Campidano."
At the end, the participants expressed their gratitude to the Prefect for his sensitivity and prompt response to our alarm. We have conveyed to the highest state authority in the area the concerns of our grassroots, namely , 'if we don't reverse course immediately, the problem will no longer be the price of wheat, but the fact that there will no longer be farmers willing to plant it.' The Prefect understood the gravity of the situation we expressed and our fears about the domino effect that the collapse of the sector would have on the demographic and social stability of our rural communities."
The Prefect – and therefore Rome – is urged to "achieve complete synergy across all institutional levels to implement extraordinary measures." And again: "Recognition of the strategic importance of wheat cultivation in Sardinia, not only as an economic sector, but as a fundamental safeguard against land degradation and abandonment."
Finally, the creation of a "common front against depopulation: Mayors, the Province, and trade unions have joined forces, demonstrating that protecting agriculture is the only true driving force for ensuring services, the economy, and a future for the island's inland areas."
The statement concludes: "The CIA Cagliari Sud Sardegna will monitor the next institutional steps, confident in the knowledge that the demands of the Sardinian countryside have finally reached the most important tables with force and unity. The battle for land, jobs, and the future of Sardinia continues."
(Unioneonline/lf)