«Under these conditions, the sector can last one, two years at most».
This is the warning raised by Coldiretti Sardegna during this morning's protest in front of the Cagliari Prefecture over the collapse in wheat and oil prices.
"Until 25 years ago, around 100,000 hectares of wheat were grown in Sardinia, but today that figure has dropped to 30,000," explains Coldiretti regional director Luca Saba. "Production costs are around 32 euros per quintal, while the market pays 23-24 euros. So farmers are working at a loss."
The protest also focused on calls for increased controls on the provenance of raw materials and enforcement of regulations against unfair practices. "It's unacceptable that foreign products are passed off as Italian after the final processing," regional president Battista Cualbu lashed out. "We demand transparency and rigorous controls."
The demonstration took place simultaneously in fifteen Italian prefectures. The meeting was attended by approximately one hundred producers and consumers. In the coming hours, Coldiretti will submit a complaint demanding audits of the wheat and oil supply chain and compliance with the production costs paid to farmers.
