BARI. “They continue to inform us of the arrival in the ports of Puglia, and in Bari in particular, of ships loaded with wheat from Russia, Ukraine and Turkey. We ask the competent authorities to intervene immediately to verify the arrivals and to guarantee Italian consumers and producers of wheat.
It is necessary to protect Italian and Apulian wheat and counteract the growing increase in imports from Türkiye, Russia and Ukraine. Otherwise the survival of our cereal cultivation is in serious danger.” It is Gennaro Sicolo, president of CIA Puglia and national vice-president of CIA Agricoltori Italiani, who returns to the need to safeguard Italian durum wheat. “Today we are practically helpless and disarmed, while our country is the destination of wild and uncontrolled imports. Samples must be taken by a mixed group of controllers (maritime health, NAS and financial police) and analyzed before unloading the ship, with particular attention to mycotoxins.
We ask the Puglia Region and its Phytopathological Observatory to carry out the visual checks it is responsible for and to make the results and images of the wheat public. Among the arriving ships, according to maritime information systems, there would be the “Alma” ship with grain of Russian and Ukrainian origin. We are continuing to lose this war; and yet, it would be enough to give life to Granaio Italia”, adds Sicolo. “Considering that sowing does not guarantee the right returns, we give up on sowing wheat and at the same time our dependence on foreign countries increases.
We need greater transparency on the markets and recognition of costs for Italian cereal farmers. It is inconceivable that we will not proceed with the establishment of the electronic register of cereal stocks, Granaio Italia, which is important in terms of greater traceability and whose entry into force is continually postponed. We trust in the commitment of Undersecretary La Pietra so that, when it passes through the Senate, the amendment on Granaio Italia which is the electronic register for the certification of both Italian and foreign wheat is approved. Just as we have been waiting for a tool that certifies production costs to clearly define the terms of negotiation”.
“Italy imports 40% of its durum wheat needs, 65% of soft wheat and 55% of corn. Yet, despite the shortage of national product and the continuous demand from consumers for 100% Italian products, the prices of the major cereals are increasingly humiliating for our farmers. Puglia, where the largest quantity of Italian durum wheat is produced, is thus extremely penalised”. Also due to climate change, the country is expected to have one of the lowest harvests ever. And the situation is no different for soft wheat and corn. It is unthinkable to move forward without containment policies on the part of Europe. Companies are abandoning crops. All the institutions must act quickly, the Government must give immediate responses to the requests that have been presented for too long, with a concrete document of proposals, various demonstrations in the streets and an online “save-wheat” Made in Italy petition which exceeds 75 thousand signatures . Let us not yet ignore the economic, social and environmental risks of this crisis, not only for the cereal sector, but for the entire country.
