"The bacteria," says Tiberio Rabboni, President of the OI, "has no detrimental effects on humans, but affects tomato plants and spreads rapidly, causing crop crises in our area. The relevant regulations provide for the immediate destruction of tomato plants that have contracted this bacterium in order to avoid any danger of further spread to other soil. In all this, the single "hit" farmer is not left alone because the Emilia-Romagna regional law provides compensation up to 100% "of the loss suffered, commensurate with the market value of the crops destroyed."

However, since resources can only be available from 2018, all the representatives of the chain through the OI have decided to assist the affected farmers by anticipating, through a pro-quota contribution, a portion of the compensation expected from the Region. In this way, Rabboni explains, we want to give certainty of income to the affected farmers and consequently to encourage the collaboration of all in the surveillance and timely identification and reporting of outbreaks to the Regional Plant Health Service.

Technically, the financial advance for the individual farmer will be through the Producer Organization to which it is associated or through the processing industry in the case of direct contract. The advance payment, approved by the Coordinating Committee of the IO, will be submitted to the agreement of the OI meeting with a concise definition of the Emergency Fund Operation Regulation.

(Source: OI Pomodoro da Industria Nord Italia press release)