Pnrr, Imprudente: “Over 5 million euros for the modernization of oil mills”.
A technological revolution that will allow the quality of Abruzzo oil to be further raised, combining excellence in production with environmental sustainability thanks to the introduction of cutting-edge machinery and technologies. They are well 51 projects for the modernization of oil mills which will be financed by Abruzzo region, for a total amount of over 5 million and 105 thousand euros. At the instigation of the Department of Agriculture, the Region has approved the rankings of the tender which implements an important measure of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) relating to “Innovation and mechanization in the agricultural and food sector” aimed at modernizing the plants of transformation, storage and packaging of extra virgin olive oil, with the aim of improving the efficiency and sustainability of the production process and of the entire olive oil supply chain. The recipients of the benefits are fifty-one agricultural companies and agro-industrial companies from Abruzzo, owners of oil mills, registered in the olive oil portal of the National Agricultural Information System (SIAN) and in possession of specific environmental authorizations. The maximum contribution granted is 135 thousand euros.
“We were among the first three regions of Italy to publish the notice – declares the vice president of the Abruzzo region with responsibility for agriculture Emanuele Imprudente – and thanks to the work of the department’s structure we managed to respect the stringent deadlines of the PNRR for the publication of the ranking. Thanks to this call – continues Imprudente – companies will be able to increase competitiveness and improve the environmental impact that is inevitably produced, always keeping the quality of our extra virgin olive oil high and improving its production processes. We focus on agriculture that uses low-emission machinery to safeguard the environment and the health of workers, that adopts cutting-edge technologies for crop monitoring and management, that reduces the use of pesticides, promoting eco-compatible techniques for healthy, quality food production accessible to all. We want Abruzzo – concludes the vice president – to become a model of excellence in Italy also for oil, demonstrating that it is possible to combine tradition and innovation for high-quality and, at the same time, sustainable food production.”
Among the approved projects, the installation of technologically advanced milling systems, capable of better preserving the organoleptic qualities of the oil during the three phases (pressing, malaxing and separation), reducing energy consumption with the aid of recovery systems of heat and make the process more efficient by obtaining greater oil production for the same quantity of olives.
Projects will also be financed for the replacement of old tanks with new stainless steel tanks equipped with temperature and humidity control systems, with the aim of improving the conservation of extra virgin olive oil by reducing the energy costs associated with storage.
