Coldiretti in defence of Made in Italy: first stop in Bari
The farmers' organisation: 'From wheat to fruit and vegetables under attack, more controls and supply chain contracts to protect farmers' incomes'
Three thousand farmers gathered in the Petruzzelli theatre in Bari for the first stage in the South of Coldiretti's mobilisation in defence of Made in Italy. The initiative was attended by national president Ettore Prandini and secretary general Vincenzo Gesmundo. Tractors, yellow balloons, flags and tents with maxi screens invaded the avenue in front of the theatre to make the voice of agricultural producers heard.
The reasons for the mobilisation? "We need to strengthen import controls and focus decisively on supply chain contracts in order to counteract the sharp drop in agricultural prices, protect the income of businesses and guarantee transparency for consumers".
Apulia - is one of the main themes of the assembly - is among the territories most exposed to the arrivals in the ports of wheat, oil and non-EU fruit and vegetables, which exert a strong downward pressure on prices. Hence the need," Coldiretti points out, "to strengthen border controls and spread supply chain contracts to give farmers certainty and support national production. The difficulties also concern fruit and vegetables. As an emblematic example Coldiretti brings the case of Brindisi artichokes, paid 5 cents a piece for industrial use against consumer prices of around 1.5 euro.
Weighing in - the organisers point out - is the competition from foreign products, such as Egyptian artichokes, 'whose arrivals increased by 30% in the first ten months of 2025 (source: Ismea), often cultivated with pesticides banned in Europe'. The fall in prices 'also affects broccoli (-25%), chard (-18%), fennel (-21%), as well as clementines, celery and potatoes'.
The pressure of imports finally affects extra virgin olive oil, with the increase of arrivals from abroad, "such as the Tunisian product sold at 3.5 euro per kilo, which has triggered a dumping that pushes prices below production costs". A particularly serious situation in Puglia, defined by Coldiretti as 'the olive grove of Italia', already hit by Xylella, which has compromised almost 21 million plants.
