Contextual data and analyzes as a fundamental prerequisite for planning strategic and sustainable development focused on enhancing entrepreneurial excellence and local characteristics. Based on this assumption, the Catanzaro Crotone Vibo Valentia Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the “G. Tagliacarne”, produced the 2024 report on agriculture in central Calabria, presented this afternoon at the institution’s headquarters in Catanzaro, in the presence of civil and military authorities, representatives of provincial and regional bodies and employers’ associations, of the school system and of higher education.
The study photographs the current situation and the projections of the sector in the provinces of Catanzaro, Crotone and Vibo Valentia, confirming how, both in its sectoral and supply chain structures, it represents a strategic lever not only for the local economy but also for the national, to which it ensures a clear and appreciable contribution.
This was underlined by the president of the chamber of commerce Pietro Falbo in opening the meeting with institutional greetings and the acting general secretary Ciro Di Leva in his introductory speech. The works, moderated by Raffaella GigliottiChamber of Commerce official, focused on the main indicators illustrated by Paolo Corteseresponsible for observatories on development factors of the study center of the Chambers of Commerce “G. Meat cutter”.
In summary, from the study, divided into thematic chapters, it emerges that, in terms of agricultural production, the provinces of Central Calabria (Catanzaro, Crotone and Vibo Valentia) boast some records. In 2023, Catanzaro is the first province in Italy for the production of white oranges (52.2% of the national total), rye (36.2%), shallots in open air (33.9%), medlars (31.2 %), open-air table cucumbers (16.6%), and second for Japanese mandarins (Satsumas 27.2%), grapefruits (7.3%) and other hybrid citrus fruits (15.9%). Similarly, Crotone is the first province in Italy for the production of fennel in open air (18.1%).
From a long-term perspective, Central Calabria reflects national trends in the agricultural sector, in some cases amplifying their effects. Between 2010 and 2023, agriculture in this area recorded a significant growth in added value, increasing the incidence on the national total from 1.6% to 1.9%. This progress has allowed the area to reduce part of its gap compared to the rest of the country, also catching up with the Calabria region as a whole, thanks above all to the development of Crotone agriculture. Agriculture in the province of Vibo Valentia also recorded growth, while that of Catanzaro remained stable.
It is also important to note how the favorable dynamics of agricultural added value produced in Central Calabria was not slowed down in the post-pandemic period, with a further increase of +11.7% between 2020 and 2023 (Italy +18.4 %).
With reference to the UAA (Used agricultural area), unlike the decline recorded at a national level, there is substantial stationarity in Central Calabria. This situation is the result of a decrease in UAA in the Vibo area, in line with the regional average, and a slight increase in the other provinces, with Crotone recording an increase of 0.9%.
The UAA per agricultural holding, however, saw an increase of 26.6% (30.8% in the province of Crotone) in the ten years analyzed by the census, reflecting a phenomenon of increase in size linked to greater production capacity, in line with the national trend.
Between the two censuses, businesses in Central Calabria decreased numerically by 20.9%, to a lesser extent than in Italy, Southern Italy and the Region as a whole. Within the area, the decrease was distributed in a relatively balanced manner and mainly affected companies involved in the cultivation of potatoes, sugar beet and cereals. Conversely, the greatest increases are achieved for companies that grow alternate or permanent fodder crops, thus supporting an expansion of breeding, or flowers and ornamental plants. As far as livestock farming is concerned, Central Calabria stands out clearly compared to the regional data. Here there is a marked increase in the number of production units (+41.6%), with particularly marked increases in poultry, pig, beehive and rabbit farms, where triple-digit growth is observed.
As regards the types of crops, the olive tree, despite a decline of 12.7% in the analyzed period, dominates the UAA, covering 31% of the agricultural surface. Followed by permanent and alternate fodder, and cereals. A more in-depth provincial analysis reveals how Catanzaro is characterized by particularly high growth rates for the cultivation of alternated fodder crops and dried legumes, Crotone by a growth of more than 300% in nurseries and Vibo Valentia by alternated or permanent fodder crops and meadows and pastures.
As regards the structure of businesses, in Central Calabria, as well as throughout the region, agritourism businesses recorded a growth of 23.6% between 2010 and 2020. During the same period, there was a significant increase in businesses of first processing of plant products (+200%) and animal products (+16%), as well as an expansion in the renewable energy sector, social agriculture, educational farms and forestry. In terms of economic size, the majority of regional agricultural companies have a turnover of less than 15,000 euros, although we are witnessing a process of size concentration aimed at improving production efficiency. This has led to a reduction in small and medium-sized businesses in favor of larger ones, even if the phenomenon is less marked in Central Calabria. In particular, in the provinces of Catanzaro and Crotone, the largest companies have decreased, with an increase in medium-sized ones. In Vibo Valentia, however, both very small and large companies are growing, with a decline in the intermediate range.
At a sectoral level, there is a marked expansion (+175%) of companies specializing in pig and poultry farming, while mixed companies, with multi-farm farms, show moderate growth. In contrast, the more specialized companies are decreasing, in particular those active in horticulture, permanent crops and arable crops. Animal husbandry is therefore becoming increasingly relevant in the area.
In Central Calabria, agricultural investments largely follow the regional trend, with a strong emphasis on mechanization, which represents 54.7% of expenses. However, there is greater attention compared to the regional average for company organization and management (8.6% of investments) and for related activities (7.4%). Despite this diversification, most resources continue to focus on production aspects, with modest emphasis given to marketing. Finally, it should be noted the small number of companies investing: only 1,957 out of 40,396 (4.8%), a percentage slightly lower than the regional average of 5.2%.
Thanks to the data from the Business Register, it is possible to carry out an analysis of the most recent entrepreneurial dynamics. The evolution by legal form in the last three years confirms the concentration process described in the decade between 2010 and 2020. If in Italy there has been a growth of joint-stock companies to the detriment of individual businesses, a similar trend is recorded in Calabria Central. Sole proprietorships remain dominant, making up over 92% of the total. However, cooperatives and consortia grow faster, strengthening mutualism and the bargaining power of local farms. Overall, the industry is showing a process of consolidation. Joint-stock companies, although accounting for 3% of the total, are growing at an intense rate until the first half of 2024.
The Calabrian agricultural landscape is dominated by small businesses, which employ 84% of the 51,139 workers in the sector. This phenomenon is equally relevant in Central Calabria, where 86.3% of workers work in companies with fewer than 10 employees and there are no large companies with more than 249 employees. However, in recent years, the area has witnessed a significant growth in the number of employees in medium-sized companies, which increased by 142.2% between 2017 and 2021. Net of this process of upward corporate downsizing, the The area loses 10.5% of its employees between 2017 and 2021, almost 2,000 units, a greater employment loss than the regional one and more marked in the provinces of Vibo Valentia and Catanzaro compared to Crotone.
An analysis of occupation by altitude class is particularly useful for analyzing any phenomena of land abandonment in the more internal and marginal areas. In this sense, while Calabria loses workers in all its altimetric areas, the loss is more significant in the mountains, in the internal hills and in the coastal ones, compared to the plains. Central Calabria, predominantly hilly and mountainous, records more significant employment losses than the regional ones, demonstrating a particular severity of the problem of depopulation of internal areas.
Exports from Central Calabria suffered a significant decline between 2015 and 2023, with an overall decrease of 37.3%. The provinces of Crotone and Catanzaro are the most affected. Going against the trend, Vibo Valentia saw rapid growth in its exports (+76%), but in 2023 it recorded a setback. The overall trade balance of the area is systematically negative between 2015 and 2023. Only Vibo Valentia manages to record, on two occasions, in 2019 and 2022, more or less balanced trade balances.
A more in-depth examination of the goods reveals how in Central Calabria purchases of live animals and products of animal origin prevail, followed by non-permanent agricultural crops. Exports, for their part, are driven by permanent crops (wines, fruit, olive trees) which constitute approximately 54% of them and which however are losing ground on the markets, with a drop of 25.2% between 2015 and 2023. Followed by products of non-permanent crops, which constitute approximately a quarter of the total, and which are also characterized by a decreasing trend. Although more or less marginal, exports of live plants, live animals and products of animal origin and raw wood are experiencing interesting growth rates.
They brought their contribution to the discussion Fabio Borrellomember of the Chamber of Commerce Council and president of the Coldiretti Interprovincial Federation Catanzaro Crotone and Vibo Valentia; Alberto Stattipresident of Confagricoltura Calabria; Daniele Maria Cirannipresident of Comalca e Rocco ReinaProfessor of Corporate Organization at Umg Catanzaro. The conclusions were entrusted to the councilor for agricultural policies of the Calabria region, Gianluca Gallo who confirmed the Citadel’s commitment to supporting agriculture through various measures. “In recent months – he added – we have injected liquidity for around 200 million euros from October 1st until the end of the year to provide the right support to businesses and also help them with investments”.