Coldiretti Reggio Calabria has formally requested the president of the Reggio Chamber of Commerce to convene a meeting with the operators of the citrus fruit supply chain, in light of the critical issues recorded in the current campaign of oranges intended for squeezing.
Although the season started with favorable conditions – states Coldiretti – the sector is now facing difficulties in placing the harvested product, which is contributed to by the growing presence on the market of foreign juices at anomalous prices and with a dubious health profile, coming from countries where the use of pesticides not allowed in Europe is still permitted. A dynamic that fuels unfair competition, penalizes Calabrian products and raises serious concerns for citizens’ food safety.
In light of this scenario, the provincial president Federica Basile and the provincial director Gino Vulcano of Coldiretti Reggio Calabria have asked the Chamber of Commerce to convene as soon as possible an operational discussion involving the fruit and vegetable POs and the juice extraction structures, with the aim of encouraging an effective dialogue between the various actors in the supply chain and guaranteeing better valorisation of local productions, carried out in full compliance with European standards.
“It is essential to act immediately – reiterated the regional director of Coldiretti Calabria Francesco Cosentini – to protect the work of citrus companies and ensure a transparent, fair and consistent market with the quality standards that our producers respect every day. Collaboration between agricultural organizations and institutions is the key to overcoming the current difficult phase. It is for this reason that Coldiretti loudly calls for respect for the principle of reciprocity to ask that European regulations, including production standards, are also applied to the products agri-food products imported from non-EU countries, where active ingredients that have been banned for decades are used in agriculture.”
Coldiretti continues to monitor the situation to vigorously support local production and encourage a systemic comparison for the valorization of citrus fruits grown in Reggino. The objective is to ensure justice and transparency, protecting farmers’ income and consumers’ health from unfair competition and poor quality products.