Nothing to be done, the requests of trade associations and shepherds without flags were not accepted: the new specification for the production of Pecorino Romano Dop does not include the indication of the breeds intended to produce milk for transformation into one of the most famous cheeses in the world. The proposal to indicate precisely the native breeds among the only ones admitted did not pass - by a majority (39% in favor and 55% against). Namely: Sardinian breed, including the Black subpopulation of Arbus, Vissana breed, Sopravissana breed, Comisana breed, Massese breed, Amiata sheep breed.

This was decided by the shareholders' meeting (processing industrialists and cooperatives) held today in Macomer. The meeting had already voted and approved this and other changes in 2020, but the ministry - to which the proposal for the new specification had been sent - had made some observations on the document, which was returned today for overall approval by the shareholders, who decided otherwise. Pecorino Romano dop will continue to be produced only with milk from the three specific areas of Sardinia, Lazio and the province of Grosseto, without indicating the breeds, as has happened up to now.

«Compared to the previous vote, the awareness has changed regarding a production that must look to the future, because this new specification must provide the guidelines for a product for the next decades», explains the president of the Consortium for the Protection Gianni Maoddi, «and we cannot look to the future without looking back and therefore seeing what the production reality is».

A decision that risks heating up the spirits in the countryside of the Island: «In Sardinia only the Sardinian breed sheep is raised» was the title of a press release issued two days ago by the shepherds without flags Gianuario Falchi, Nenneddu Sanna, Mario Carai and Fabio Pisu, protagonists of the 2019 milk revolt. In the document they argued «that the breed-territory of origin link is at the basis of the designations of origin and has always allowed a promotion action on the market of traditional products that prevent their production dislocated around the world». And again: «We are not willing to risk our future for the greed of a few who would like to exploit the favorable moment to flood the market with Pecorino Romano produced with milk from imported foreign breeds. We are ready to organize new forms of protest that the processors will certainly be forced to take into account, as the experiences of the not so distant past should have taught».

Copagri and Confagricoltura had also urged the introduction of native breeds, and today they launched an appeal to the island's politicians. Now the new specification will be transcribed and sent to the Ministry of Agricultural Policies for final approval.

(Unioneonline/E.Fr.)

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