The ancient art stopped dead in its tracks. The heart of the agro-pastoral history of the Island, the most authentic and identifying one, in the silence of the Palaces of Rome, marks an unprecedented setback. For two months the wise mastery of the shepherds of Barbagia had to give up. The production of the most prized of their cheeses, Fiore Sardo, is blocked. The brand to be affixed to the most Sardinian of the PDOs, Protected Designation of Origin, an essential and mandatory condition for producing the famous pecorino, was in fact denied to the only and historic producers located in the heart of Sardinia.

Low blow

A very hard blow for an economy that has always made its identity and dairy tradition its greatest strength. Yet, without anyone having attempted to avoid this disaster, the Ministry of Agriculture, to date, has not yet given any sign of even the slightest response to the dozens of producers forced to stop the production of the Fiore Sardo. Everything is linked to the ministerial decision to revoke the authorization to supply the "casein labels" from the Protection Consortium, with the cessation of sale of the marking tools. A measure about which there is no official news, but whose very serious consequences on productions are dramatically recorded.

Productive hole

A stop that is taking place in the most fruitful period of milk processing, with a production "hole" that will have unprecedented repercussions on the Sardinian dairy market and beyond. The paradox of this story is that the Sardinian shepherds, those who have always carried on this tradition, in full compliance with the regulations, are doubly victims of this story. Two eloquent facts about this story: in 2016 the "snatch raid" of the Protection Consortium by dairy industrialists and then the scandal of the altered production of the "Fiore Sardo" by numerous industrial activities, with the use of "thermalized" milk rather than "raw", as strictly required by the regulations for the processing of the ancient cheese.

The Fiore coup

Two directly connected steps: on the one hand, following those altered productions, the industrialists have effectively "excluded" the historical soul of the Fiore Sardo from the Protection Consortium, and on the other they have seriously affected the most authentic activity, the one that involved the production of Fiore Sardo directly in the sheepfolds, in compliance with the timing imposed by the regulations which imposed processing times for raw milk that were not compatible with the transfer of the "white gold" to industrial dairies.

The prosecutor's blitz

Last year the crime exploded in all its gravity. An explosive investigation by the Cagliari Prosecutor's Office led to the seizure, in two separate operations by the Guardia di Finanza, of as many as 670 tons of Fiore Sardo, according to the investigators an artefact. Product released from seizure only after having imposed the elimination of the certified denomination of protected production. The consequence was automatic: the very conditions for the Consorzio del Fiore Sardo, the one governed by industrialists, to be able to continue to play that role of "Protection" disappeared. to which he was obliged precisely by ministerial authorization.

Victims of industrialists

Ironically, however, the ones who pay the consequences of this sort of "commissioning" are precisely the victims, the historic shepherds who first suffered the robbery of the consortium and then had to pay heavily for the burden of an "outlaw" production of the Fiore Sardo by the industrial dairies involved in the maxi investigation by the Cagliari public prosecutor's office.

Commercial chain

Now, in fact, the production and commercial chain of the typical Barbagia product is at risk of being blown up, with a production block that risks leaving its mark. For this reason, the tension in the world of the countryside, with the epicenter in Gavoi, the undisputed homeland of the Fiore Sardo, is rising exponentially precisely due to the chain reaction that risks being triggered on the market.

The complaint

Before the start of the new year, the historic shepherds, therefore, decided to denounce. The letter is detailed, including the recipients: Felice Assenza, general director of the Central Inspectorate for the protection of quality and repression of fraud in agri-food products, Giuseppe Blasi head of department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Oreste Gerini responsible for certified quality and protection of geographical indications of agricultural, agri-food and wine products of the agricultural department.

Very serious damage

The communication is written by a lawyer, as if to say: the issue is taking on the characteristics of a real upcoming legal case, complete with damages. The leaders of the Ministry that was supposed to protect them remember the genetic code of the Fiore Sardo: «At most we are shepherds originating from the towns of the historical region of Barbagia to which this production is linked, which has become a Slow Food presidium and one of the three cheeses with a designation of origin protected products in Sardinia, the identity flag of the entire territory".

Children and grandchildren

Recalling the theft suffered by the industrialists, they write: «We are the children or grandchildren of those who as pioneers founded the Protection Consortium based in Gavoi at their own expense, the first or perhaps only and important opportunity for unity in the Barbagia sheep sector. Shepherds who in the consortium affair have put their economic resources towards the recognition of the PDO to protect and promote the "Flower" throughout the world". The complaint does not allow half sentences: «As producers of Formaggio Fiore Sardo DOP, we point out the mandatory and oppressive interruption of the production of DOP cheese in our companies. Regrettable consequence of the revocation from the Protection Consortium of the authorization to deliver the casein stamps, accompanied by the sudden and unannounced cessation of sale of the same marking tools. Blockade which caused the inevitable interruption of the production of Fiore DOP in many small companies in our territory, causing significant economic losses, creating a climate of uncertainty and frustration in companies which to date have no official news on the continuation of production during the year in progress".

Harm and mockery

Adding insult to injury: «The interruption of production has almost exclusively affected small producers as it would appear that the industrial dairies involved in production are supplied with the stamps. While no timely communication was given to small producers, despite the reported supply of casein stickers available to the Protection Consortium, which appears to reserve the right to hand them over to the control body." A situation that risks worsening, forcing "identitarian" shepherds to deliver milk to industrial dairies, with the serious danger that the historic and protected production of the "Fiore Sardo" will suffer a lethal and irreparable blow.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

© Riproduzione riservata