Italy’s Prime Minister met with agricultural associations this Friday and promised measures to guarantee farmers fair prices, while protests with tractors on the streets continue in several parts of the country.
“We want to solve the very important issue of production costs,” Giorgia Meloni said during the meeting, according to sources quoted by the Italian news agency ANSA.
The Italian Prime Minister assured that her government wants to “prevent the sale of products below cost and provide farmers with a fair price.”
Meloni said the government would strengthen enforcement checks on unfair trade practices and strengthen monitoring of agricultural prices and average production costs in key supply chains.
The minister also assured that the tax relief measure for farmers will be modified, rather than completely eliminated, to ensure it is more targeted.
The issue appears to have caused some divisions within the government, with Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini saying the tax breaks are not enough.
“I am convinced that we can do more,” said the leader of the far-right La Liga party.
Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, a core member of the Brothers of Italy (FdI), Meloni’s party, responded that the exemption from the Irpef tax, which the government intended to suspend completely, would remain for 90% of Italian farmers.
Four tractors driven by farmers representing Redenção Agricola, one of several groups involved in peaceful tractor protests in Italy against European and national agricultural policies and general difficulties in the sector, drove past the Colosseum this morning as part of a small demonstration in the city.
Tractors honking their horns and followed by police cars were greeted with applause as they passed before heading to Circus Massimo.
“For the first time, tractors drove into the center of the capital without flags. This is an excellent result,” said Salvatore Fais, leader of the Agricultural Redemption organization.
Regarding the increasingly apparent divisions within the tractor protest movement, the official said that “every group has the same problems and each is fighting its own fight.”
A tractor march is planned for this evening along the GRA ring road on the Rome motorway.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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