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The serious crisis affecting the Calabrian olive sector was at the center of a meeting chaired by the regional councilor for Agriculture, Gianluca Gallo, in which professional agricultural and olive producer organizations, sector federations and the Chamber of Commerce participated.
Prices below production costs
During the meeting, strong concern was expressed about the drastic drop in the prices of extra virgin olive oil, currently at levels lower than production costs. A situation made even more difficult by the increase in energy costs, fuel, raw materials and services necessary for running agricultural businesses.
The organizations present highlighted the growing economic and financial difficulties affecting numerous companies in the sector, aggravated by the presence of significant quantities of unsold oil in warehouses, while the companies are already busy preparing for the next olive growing campaign.
The demands of the supply chain
The representatives of the sector reiterated the strategic value of olive growing for the regional agricultural economy and asked for the urgent activation of extraordinary measures to support businesses. Among the proposals put forward include financial interventions to guarantee liquidity, the suspension and renegotiation of banking exposures, the strengthening of public guarantee instruments and support for storage to avoid the sell-off of the product and allow for more balanced management of the market.
Particular attention was also dedicated to strengthening traceability and controls along the supply chain, combating speculative practices and enhancing the origin and quality of Italian and Calabrian extra virgin olive oil. Among the topics addressed also the need to start a discussion with large-scale organized distribution to encourage a greater presence of Calabrian oil on the shelves and promote more balanced commercial policies.
The Region’s initiatives
The parties shared the need to continue the process of structural strengthening of the sector through the consolidation of producer organisations, the valorisation of the Calabria Oil PGI, support for innovation, mechanization and supply aggregation processes.
The proposals that emerged during the meeting have already been presented in today’s session of the Agricultural Policies Commission, with the request to bring the issue to the attention of the State-Regions Conference to identify extraordinary tools to protect the sector.
«Olive growing is one of the most important supply chains of Calabrian agriculture and represents an economic, productive and identity heritage that must be protected with determination» declared councilor Gianluca Gallo. «The critical issues highlighted by the operators require rapid responses and coordinated action between the Region, the national government and supply chain representatives. We will forcefully bring these requests to the competent institutional tables so that concrete and effective measures can be identified to guarantee profitability and competitiveness for a strategic sector for Calabria”.