Following the “Orgoglio Coldiretti” regional assembly of 30 April, in which around 500 members from all over the region took part, meeting at the Grand Hotel Rinascimento in Campobasso, Coldiretti Molise activated a careful analysis of the critical issues that emerged, in order to evaluate possible trade union actions to be implemented to protect the agricultural and livestock sector. Held simultaneously in all the capitals of Italy, the assembly made it possible to identify the most urgent problems and the initiatives to be implemented for the protection of Molise businesses to guarantee their income and to protect the territory and citizens/consumers. The most felt problem resulted from the invasion of wild boars (in Molise there are over 40 thousand of them), “which – explained the regional President Claudio Papa – destroy crops, biodiversity and also constitute a major problem for the safety of citizens, causing road accidents and pushing ever further into inhabited centres”. A problem that worsens with the risk of spreading ASF (African swine fever), of which wild boars are the main vectors. Therefore a problem, this of the uncontrolled increase in wild boars, which must be resolved as soon as possible and which, beyond the regulatory measures aimed at containing their numbers (for example selection control or selection hunting) requires extraordinary interventions, in the absence of which the Organization will be forced to implement, with its members, a strong trade union action towards the responsible institutional levels”. Urgent and decisive interventions are then needed against the proliferation of photovoltaic and wind farms which too often, he underlined the regional director of the organization, Aniello Ascolese, “steal fertile soil also suited to excellent production, without considering the market distortions caused by the exorbitant prices offered by multinationals to farmers for the rental of land to be used for the production of energy to the instead of that of food.” On the subject of food, authenticity and traceability of products, it then emerged that the defense of Made in Italy agri-food also involves the principle of reciprocity to obtain which Coldiretti launched a popular petition asking for a European law, by popular initiative, which provides for the mandatory origin label for every agri-food product that wants to enter the EU market. From this perspective, Coldiretti also calls for the abolition of the Customs Code on the origin of food “because – stated the Director from Ascolese – it cannot be the last processing that determines the country of origin of the product”. The origin of food, which started from Brenner not many days ago – explained Papa – will also continue in the ports where wheat and other foreign products arrive because – the President underlined – if the rules are not the same for everyone, the competitiveness of businesses will be destroyed Italian and local companies that respect all standards on quality and work, favoring what Coldiretti defines as ‘unfair commercial practices'”. A situation that forces our farmers and breeders to produce below production costs, unable to apply a fair price, with evident economic losses that often lead to the closure of their companies”. The issue of the correct use of resources is also very important. water, especially in a period like the one we live in characterized by climate change with extreme climatic events and an increasingly widespread drought. For this reason, for years Coldiretti has been asking for the creation of a national reservoir plan which provides for the creation of artificial lakes essential for conserving water and using it in times of need. In this context, great attention must also be paid to the Reclamation Consortia which today administer the “blue gold”. These bodies must be put in a position to operate at their best and the debt situation in which, for example, the Basso Molise Consortium finds itself requires intervention by the Region, requested several times by Coldiretti, which can allow it to provide efficient and efficient services. a sustainable cost for companies.
Of no less importance, then, is the need to quickly arrive at a moratorium on business debt, which must be achieved through a stop to mortgages and ongoing financing. With regard to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), however, the need has emerged for a simplification of the bureaucratic requirements which in fact prevent the obtaining of the expected benefits, as well as weighing on the shoulders of the companies, forced to spend a third of their time to keep up with the ‘papers'”. Finally, as regards the problems of the navy, these can be summarized, in particular, on the uncontrolled increase in the cost of diesel and the invasion of the “blue crab” which to date has already caused companies in the sector damages quantifiable at 200 million euros. This is why Coldiretti is asking for the appointment of an extraordinary commissioner against this which has become a real emergency.
