Anicav: "We reiterate our willingness to recognise an increase in the average reference price in the interest of the entire supply chain".
Two months after the last meeting, negotiations have resumed in the Northern Italy Basin between the agricultural and industrial parties to define the Framework Agreement for the management of the next tomato processing campaign.
During the last meeting, the industrial side, with a view to rewarding the cultivation of processing tomatoes, reiterated its willingness to recognise an increase in the average reference price that could compensate for the increase in costs that weighed on the agricultural sector in the last processing campaign, also taking into account the difficulties farmers are experiencing in accessing financing.
Despite the unfavourable economic situation and a stalemate in consumption linked to the economic crisis, the industrial side confirmed its commitment to recognise a 20% increase over the average reference price agrreed in 2022, leading to an increase of around 40% in the two-year period 2021-2023.
Despite the industry's efforts, there was no willingness on the agricultural side to continue the discussion, so the discussion was adjourned.
"With a great sense of responsibility, we made ourselves available for a further limited economic effort for a positive conclusion of the negotiations", declared Bruna Saviotti, coordinator of ANICAV's Northern Basin Territorial Committee, "we invite the agricultural side to reflect carefully on the future of the supply chain and on the need to avoid speculation at a time when the situation that has arisen in our competitor countries could, on the contrary, give greater impetus to the Italian tomato industry."
"We hope," says Marco Serafini, President of ANICAV, "that the agricultural world can understand that it will be difficult for the industry to go much further. Bearing in mind that alternative crops to tomatoes have recorded price reductions since 2022 (maize and sunflower are examples), it is difficult not to think that the demands of our counterpart are purely speculative. It is necessary to bear in mind, both in the North and Central-South basin, that an excessive increase in the cost of the raw material will have repercussions on the processed product and, therefore, on the end consumers with a consequent loss of competitiveness of our tomato."
Source: ANICAV press release
