They're rising, but unfortunately, it's not the sandwiches, colomba cakes, pizzas, desserts, and all the other delicacies of Sardinia's food economy that are increasing in volume and taste. It's the production costs , due to the widespread increases in raw materials, energy, gas, transportation, and packaging, that are impacting the final price of the product .
The alarm comes from the 2,700 artisan food businesses in Sardinia , a sector that has been under pressure for many years due to the exponential increase in direct costs, which denounces the dangerous impact of the umpteenth crisis in the last 6 years .
"There are many factors worrying our companies," says Giacomo Meloni, president of Confartigianato Imprese Sardegna, "but what is causing the most concern today is undoubtedly the rising cost of energy : electricity and gas first and foremost, but also diesel fuel for road transport. The sector expects a significant impact on energy. In recent days, in fact, companies have been warned by suppliers that prices will be adjusted upwards at the beginning of April ."
Businesses in the sector use gas, diesel, and electricity to power ovens, machinery, and cold rooms—all highly energy-intensive equipment used to knead, shape, cook, package, and preserve products. Moreover, workshops also require lighting. In this regard, food artisans are reporting a 57% increase in the cost of gas to power ovens , with the fuel rising from 0.70 cents to 1.10 euros per cubic meter in just a few days . According to analyses by the Confartigianato Sardegna Research Office on energy costs, current electricity price quotes on the electricity exchange predict a sharp increase in electricity bills in April and the following months. "A similar situation to energy is the increase in the costs of raw materials, semi-finished products, and packaging ," Meloni continues, "with the fear that this situation could inevitably pass on to end consumers, who are already suffering the consequences of widespread price increases."
