They abandoned sheepfolds and stables for a day, to gather in front of the Regional Council building in via Roma in Cagliari with only one request: that of not letting them die of starvation .
Shepherds and breeders are exhausted due to higher fuel and feed prices , but they receive much less from the European Union as an economic contribution to their business.
There are aid measures for the agro-pastoral world which, however, is very modest in Sardinia, due to decisions by the ministry in Rome and the Region in Cagliari. Fabio Pisu, a member of the spontaneous Sardinian Shepherds committee, explains what the problems are: “First of all, claims on the Common Agricultural Policy from which the sheep and goats are totally excluded, with losses of around 36-40 euros each. Pastoralism with rising prices risks taking a road with no return ”.
The Regional Council accepted the requests made by Sardinian shepherds . Without encountering any difficulties, the farmers collected a meeting with the group leaders of the Council , to whom they brought problems and requests to be able to solve them.
The rural world is in turmoil because there are many economic difficulties, as explained by a farmer, Gianuario Falchi .
Hours of meeting, therefore, with the group leaders in the Regional Council , and at 3.30 pm finally the delegation of pastors who demonstrate from the morning in front of the building in via Roma in Cagliari comes out with the results of the meeting.
The delegates of the thousand farmers are moderately happy , the colleagues who waited outside much less, about the European contributions that in Sardinia are lower than in other regions and about the solutions to resolve this disparity.
The Prime Minister, Michele Pais, gets on the truck-stage box and announces the participation of the shepherds at the next meeting of the Agriculture Commission and the Regional Council . The delegates thank him, but the first shouts start from the small crowd of breeders. Someone asks: "Is that all?". And the nerves are not a little tense.
We update on Tuesday , when a new event is scheduled. The request for the resignation of the Councilor for Agriculture, Gabriella Murgia, leaves from the delegation to Pais: "He does not know and does not study", shouts a delegate.
We return home. But to return.