Wheat production in Puglia is estimated to fall by 40-45% this year as a result of the prolonged drought which gripped the entire region for months and caused yields to be cut, but the quality is extraordinary with an average of 85 specific weight and 14 protein, reasons why fair remuneration must be given to a high quality product. This is what emerges from an estimate by Coldiretti Puglia which with CREA in a cereal company in the Granaio d’Italia drew up the first assessment of the cereal campaign, saved at the last minute by drought and frost.
“Production is decreasing just when in Puglia growing wheat has cost farmers up to 300 euros more per hectare with major problems caused by drought but also by frosts. But the quality is excellent and we will not accept any policy of reducing the prices of Made In Italy wheat“, explained Mario de Matteo, president of Coldiretti Foggia, for whom the bloodletting of the Granary of Italy also makes it necessary “interventions to help businesses which has lost production and income, also compared to now unsustainable price increases, starting from the cereal sector which represents one of the symbols of the difficult situation facing regional agriculture”, concluded de Matteo.
The cutting of crops caused by the severe and persistent drought, with the increase in costs, in some areas of the provinces of Bari and Foggia – underlines Coldiretti Puglia – there is a risk of increasing dependence on foreign countries for agri-food supplies with Italy already importing 64% of the wheat for bread, the 44% of what is needed for pasta, but also 16% of the milk consumed, 49% of the beef and 38% of the pork, without forgetting that with the national crops of corn and soy, fundamental for the of animals, respectively just 53% and 27% of the Italian requirement are covered according to the analysis of the Divulga Study Center.
Puglia is the main Italian producer of durum wheat, with 360,000 hectares cultivated and 10 million quintals produced on average per year. The demand for 100% Made in Italy wheat clashes with years of inattention and abandonment which in the last decade – reports Coldiretti Puglia – have led to the disappearance of 1 field in 5 with the loss of almost half a million hectares of cultivated land, with effects disruptive on the economy, employment and the environment, from unfair competition from imports from abroad, especially from areas of the planet that do not respect the same food and environmental safety rules in force in Puglia and Italy.
The best selected durum wheat varieties – insists Coldiretti Puglia – from Emilio Lepido to Furio Camillo, from Marco Aurelio to Massimo Meridio up to Panoramix and Mallorca wheat, sThey are cultivated by farmers in the Apulian area which produces more than 1/4 of all Italian durum wheat.
CEREAL PRODUCTION PUGLIA
Years 2021 2022 2023
harvested production – quintals harvested production – quintals harvested production – quintals
Type of cultivation
soft wheat 225,000 213,000 189,000
durum wheat 9,318,000 6,877,000 7,974,000
barley 538,300 354,730 510,400
oats 550,655 483,175 503,600
corn 51,000 44,250 51,400
sorghum 3,800 3,800 3,600
*Elaboration by Coldiretti Puglia based on Istat data source
Foggia, 17 June 2024
Press release from Coldiretti Puglia
