Meanwhile, winemakers in Abruzzo are still waiting for interventions for the damage caused by downy mildew – Corriere Peligno

Sulmona, 19 April Confagricoltura Abruzzo expresses great concern for the enormous delay in economic interventions to support the damage caused by the violent attacks of Peronospora caused by the “Plasmopara Viticola” fungus due to the constant rains that followed for forty days.“In fact, about a year ago, intermittent rains began which heavily affected 67.5% of the crops, causing the biggest economic crisis in the wine sector ever suffered in living memory”. He reveals it Mauro Lovato Vice president of Confagricoltura Abruzzo.

“Winemakers and cooperative wineries are suffering economically and from next month they will be unable to pay current expenses, the purchase of agricultural fuel and phytosanitary products. There will be the dismissal of staff and the inability to face the next harvest. due to lack of collaborators but what is even more serious they will be forced to resort to mortgage bank debt to obtain liquidity. We remember that Confagricoltura Abruzzo since 5 June 2023, he had alerted President Marco Marsilio of the economic crisis that was about to hit the wine sector. Subsequently he participated in meetings, forwarded proposals and requests to address the incipient problem in time. While receiving comfort and help from former Councilor Mauro Febbo, from Councilor Mario Quaglieri, by Councilor Emanuele Imprudente, by Undersecretary Luigi D’Eramo and by Senator Sigismondi, architects of regional and ministerial actions. Still- continues Lovato- we are still at a standstill. Confagricoltura Abruzzo denounces all the delays accumulated in 12 months and does not want to be involved and indifferent to these inefficiencies”.

With the few regional resources, an intervention was carried out in which around a hundred winemakers were able to participate in the face of tens of thousands of companies affected by the catastrophe. However, today the few beneficiaries of the loan are still unable to sign the financing contract with FIRA, the regional finance company. It is unfortunate that in these days at Vinitaly, apart from the catwalks and the “raise the glasses”, the economic and political world has forgotten this terrible misfortune that has struck the winemakers of Abruzzo by not listening to our cry of alarm for the lack of regional production of 70% of wine grapes, for the lack of agreements with the ABI (Italian Banking Association) to block the mortgages for 24 months, for the compensatory interventions of the national solidarity fund under Legislative Decree 102/2004. “To the Regional President Marco Marsilio and to the reconfirmed Vice President and Agriculture Councilor Emanuele Imprudente- concludes Lovato dejectedly- I appeal to deal with this situation decisively. Time is up and we are ready to demonstrate against those who until today have forgotten about the raw material with which our wine is produced and which made all the politicians parade on display at Vinitaly”.