A few days ago in Rome, the meeting of Italy’s wheat/pasta sector took place at the presence of agricultural organizations, industrial and seed associations, and distribution chain representatives. It was an opportunity to discuss the issues concerning one of the most representative and strategic sectors of the Made in Italy agri-food industry. “We started a concrete dialogue with the supply chain – says the Minister Gian Marco Centinaio – by taking immediate action, ranging from the release of payments on contracts for the wheat supply chain to the allocation of 20 million euros for their renewal. The future challenge is to expand the presence and promotion of Italian pasta abroad”.
ACTIONS FOR ITALY’S WHEAT AND PASTA SUPPLY CHAIN
The Ministry has implemented a number of strategic actions:
Aid to farmers: immediate release of aid payments for supply chain contracts – About €10 million from the national cereal fund. For the first year (2016) it provided for a payment of €100 per hectare to farmers who signed sectoral contracts for at least three years. The measure involved 100,000 hectares and about 9,000 companies. The second campaign was characterized by a redoubled contribution (200 euros). A support that the Ministry intends to give continuity to, as it binds processors and agricultural producers to work together on a permanent basis;
Contributions for the renewal of supply chain contracts for the 2019 campaign – 20 million euros for the 2020/2021 period. They will be paid, together with any residues from the previous campaign, from the 2019 campaign for supply chain contracts;
Prices transparency – The Ministry wants to create a single national Commission for durum wheat as soon as possible, in order to promote interprofessional dialogue and make price formation more transparent. The industry unanimously agreed to discuss soon the technical details;
Exports: pasta symbol of Made in Italy – Supporting Made in Italy in all its components is a fundamental value. For this reason, the Minister has established that the promotion of Italian pasta abroad will be one of the most important operational goals for 2019.
Discover some of the leading Italian pasta companies
