(Finance) – Corn sowing is a nightmare for Italian farmers who, in 2023, lost on average 600 to 700 euros per hectare cultivated. The dramatic situation is denounced Marco Paccagnella, president of Federcontribuenti, which points the finger at an unfair system that penalizes Made in Italy. “First they terrified us with the lack of wheat from Ukraine, only to discover that we buy it easily from Canada, including mold – thunders Paccagnella -. Then, again due to the war, the cost of seed oils tripled”.
In the meantime, “it offers a pittance to maintain uncultivated agricultural land, while for cultivated land they put photovoltaic panels as far as the eye can see – reports the president of Federcontribuenti –. Italy boasts the greatest agricultural excellence, with safe, well-controlled and often organic products. Yet, international markets and the EU force us to buy products of dubious origin and quality. How is it possible that the same product, purchased on the other side of the world, costs less than our national production? And above all, is it possible that our farmers should be penalized in this way? We must defend our agriculture and create our food independence”, is Paccagnella’s appeal.
“Otherwise, the risk – warns the president of Federcontribuenti – is that in a few years we will have a lot of sustainable electricity, but we will be starving”. There dramatic situation of the Italian agricultural sector it cannot be ignored. If timely action is not taken, ”the risk of food dependence on imports and of a future without Italian agriculture becomes real because – he concludes Paccagnella – we must enhance and protect our agricultural heritage not only for its economic value, but also for its strategic importance for the country’s food security”.
(Photo: Joao Marcelo on Unsplash)