Coldiretti Calabria calls to rally farmers, citizens, mayors and institutional representatives for an event to be held on Tuesday 18 Junestarting from 9.30 am, at the headquarters of the Calabria Region on the state road 107 Vaglio Lise in Cosenza. The mobilization, organized under the slogan “Enough Boars and Wildlife”, is gathering a growing number of supporters throughout the region.
Franco AcetoPresident of Coldiretti Calabria and member of the Confederal Council, declared that, despite recent progress with the approval by the Regional Council of “Guidelines of the Extraordinary Plan for the management and containment of wildlife” proposed by Coldiretti, the situation remains critical. «We will continue to move forward because the gravity of the wild boar and wildlife emergency dictates it, which has been out of control for too long, which affects not only farmers, but also citizens and affects all of the Calabrian municipalities, from the countryside to the inhabited centers», Aceto said.
Damage to agriculture and local communities
Over the last year, the wild boars have caused damage to Calabrian agriculture amounting to around five million euros, devastating crops of wheat, potatoes, corn, vegetables and even vineyards and orchards. Aceto underlined that the damage caused by wild animals is only partially reimbursed and often after years, discouraging many from reporting the attacks they suffer. «The few compensations that arrive never cover the real value of the destroyed product or the killed animal», he added, giving the example of the producers of fine wine who are compensated just for the simple value of the grapes and not for the overall value of the devastated vineyard.
Protection of pig herds
Coldiretti is «particularly concerned – we read in a note – for the protection of the Calabrian pig herd, which has over 5 thousand farms and approximately 52 thousand heads of pigs. The sector of production of cured meats, sausages and pork, which includes breeding, processing, transport and distribution, has an estimated value of over 400 million euros, generating numerous jobs. Calabria also boasts four DOP cured meats, which represent an economic and cultural heritage to be protected.”
Aceto concluded by underlining the importance of monitoring the implementation of the new guidelines and accelerate virtuous paths to address the emergency. «The direction is the right one, but Coldiretti has the duty to accelerate the virtuous paths, so on June 18th it will be in the streets», declared Aceto.
