Tomatoes, breath of fresh air for Sardinian producers: revenues on the rise

Breath of oxygen for Sardinian industrial tomato producers, which this year will earn 120 thousand euros more than those contracted.

Effect of the unilateral increase decided by Casar, which will pay the tomato to the farmer 30 cents more than originally agreed, or 12.50 instead of 12.20 euro / quintal.

Coldiretti Cagliari underlines this in a note, expressing satisfaction through its provincial president Giorgio Demurtas: "Forward-thinking entrepreneurs build and invest and do not speculate on the market on the shoulders of the producer, as unfortunately happens every day. We are living this striking example. these days with wheat, with the price skyrocketing by more than 60 percent with a consequent increase in pasta and finished products for consumers, and not even a cent more that goes instead to the cereal growers who have also sold their own product within a supply chain agreement. In short, the greatest margins stopped between the two weak poles: producer and consumer ".

For the tomato, on the other hand, the exact opposite happened. "They had already closed and signed the price at 12.20 euros per quintal with Casar - explains the president of Coldiretti Samassi, as well as industrial tomato producer Giuseppe Onnis - which given the vintage, in which yields per hectare were lower compared to the average due to the heat, they decided to increase the price by 30 cents which for us producers represent an important breath of fresh air ".

In Sardinia about 330 hectares of industrial tomatoes are grown (the elongated one for preserves) between Oristano (the largest producer with 100 hectares), San Vero Milis, Solarussa, Cabras, Zeddiani, Serramanna, Samassi, Serrenti and Nuraminis, for a production of about 400,000 quintals. This year the yield per hectare was penalized by too much heat, without however affecting the quality which is confirmed as excellent.

"It is a supply chain on which Sardinia has ample room for growth thanks to the climate and the land - says the director of Coldiretti Cagliari Luca Saba -. In the last 30 years we have lost over 40 percent of production due to the collapse of the price due. to unfair competition in approaches, but by continuing on this path and arriving at the signing of supply chain agreements, we can grow together, in a market in which, thanks to the battles of Coldiretti, tomato derivatives are obliged to indicate the origin of the tomato on the label ".

(Unioneonline / lf)