The 'Lomellina Terra di Riso' (Lomellina Land of Rice) is born, a collective brand for the relaunch of the most prized qualities

An umbrella brand to promote Lomellina's rice at a time when bad news is raining down on the sector, from the confirmation of the indiscriminate opening of Europe to subsidised imports to the difficult situation on the domestic market. The initiative was promoted by seven companies in the area, which alone covers around 30% of national production but is less well known than other districts such as Vercelli.

With the collective brand"Lomellina Terra di Riso" a new packaging will be launched to give visibility to the territory's production through "a shared form and a readable, coordinated and identifiable identity on the market", explains the association set up in 2024 but now entering its operational phase with the launch of the brand and initiatives ranging from tastings to agritourism. The project, emphasise the promoter companies (Cascina Alberona, Mora Bassa, Bosco Fornasara, Marta Sempio Riso, Azienda Agricola Zerbi, Massino and Santa Maria) is open to the adhesion of other realities of the territory, also called 'Little Loire' for its numerous castles.

Even more than the location, the interest of the initiative stems from the timing. Beyond the unfavourable market and European regulatory framework, there is a progressive reduction of cultivated varieties in Italy, due to the climate crisis that significantly impacts a crop that needs water more than others (but which also preserves it) and increasingly high production costs. The sowings are holding but are oriented towards fewer and fewer varieties, putting one of the riches of Italian agriculture at risk.

"If at a global level rice is a commodity, in Italia, Europe's leading producer with over 50% of EU production, it becomes a valuable product,' emphasises the association's president, Luigi Ferraris. 'We do not compete on quantity, but on certified quality and varietal biodiversity: here the value arises from the combination of cultivars of excellence, careful farming practices and a strong territorial identity, all elements that the market and the consumer are now increasingly able to recognise.

There are five guidelines definition of the Lomellina as an area of origin; adoption of regenerative agriculture (reduced tillage, cover crops, five-year rotations, winter submergence and stubble maintenance); assumption of social sustainability criteria (from compliance with labour regulations to the enhancement of educational farms) centralisation of processing (at the Ferraris farm in Cascina Alberona) to guarantee traceability and homogeneity of the product, with a percentage of broken grains lower than 1 per cent.