The sentence pronounced by Minister Lollobrigida (“Fortunately the drought this year is affecting the South, in particular Sicily”), in addition to being very serious, it is simply shameful. This is not just a gaffe, unfortunately, because in the agriculture decree Puglia and the whole of Southern Italy were simply crossed out, with the blackout of Granaio Italia and the measures promised to revive cereal cultivation, not to mention Xylella. They are already applying differentiated autonomy: the right resources in the North, not even small change and minimal attention to the South. The change of direction that had been promised turned out to be pure propaganda, nothing but smoke, while the primary sector of Puglia and throughout the South is experiencing a moment of extraordinary difficulty. It’s really disconcerting.” Gennaro Sicolo’s words are very harsh.
The president of CIA Agricoltori Italiani di Puglia, and national vice-president of the organisation, expresses all the dismay and frustration at the disappointed expectations of thousands of agricultural companies in Bari, Foggia, Bat, Lecce, Brindisi and Taranto who were waiting for adequate measures of the difficult situation in which the sector finds itself after the increases in raw materials, energy bills, production costs and following not only the drought, “which even seems like a relief to the minister if it hits the South and not the North of the country”, he adds Sicolo, “but also to the downy mildew, to the frosts of recent weeks, and to a whole series of delays and problems never seriously addressed, from the unfair competition which destroys the value recognized to producers for the true Made in Italy: the wheat, the fruit, the vegetables, milk, our wine. Nobody reminded the Minister that our wine, not just that of the North, is a product of exceptional quality. This is truly unbelievable and unacceptable. How incredible and unacceptable is the complete surrender of the Government in the face of lobbies and wild imports that are ruining the cereal and fruit and vegetable supply chains. We are surprised and disconcerted by yet another postponement of Granaio Italia which represents the real urgency for the protection of food sovereignty. A food sovereignty that is just a mockery, because here in Italy the products from Canada, Russia, Turkey and North Africa reign supreme, depreciating ours and causing companies to close down that are no longer able to produce in loss. A disappointment on all fronts. And it is right that all farmers know this and are informed of this colossal mockery and lack of respect on the part of the Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida and the entire Government”.
