Petrol and diesel: farmers and lorry drivers protest together in the South

Petrol and diesel. But also fruit, vegetables and wheat. The crisis linked to soaring fuel costs is intertwined with the agricultural crisis, which has been exacerbated by rising energy costs but has also been driven by the collapse in agricultural commodity prices. The olive oil crisis is particularly acute, with unsold stock from previous harvests piling up in oil mills and extra virgin olive oil prices plummeting. This unsustainable situation has prompted around 3,000 olive growers to take to the streets in Bari in recent days, gathering outside the Prefecture.

It is this vicious circle which, particularly in the southern regions – with Puglia at the forefront – is driving thousands of farmers onto the streets to protest alongside lorry drivers. They are protesting together in the streets, but in reality the lorry drivers’ industrial action is exacerbating the difficulties facing the agri-food supply chain.

“We understand the reasons behind the lorry drivers’ protest,” commented Raffaele Drei, president of Fedagri-Confcooperative, “and we respect their right to voice their concerns, but we must ensure that the protest does not end up penalising production that, by its very nature, cannot wait. The demonstrations taking place over the last few days are already having serious consequences for the agricultural sector, which is facing the same critical issues as the lorry drivers’ sector.”

In Puglia, but also in Calabria and even in Sicily, the ongoing protests have seen groups of lorry drivers and farmers effectively block the movement of goods.

“Farmers and hauliers are part of the same supply chain,” continues Drei, “and they must not find themselves on opposite sides. Now more than ever, it is important that they see themselves as allies and jointly demand concrete solutions, without the difficulties faced by one sector being passed on to another. We therefore call for the free movement of fresh and perishable fruit and vegetables – which cannot be left waiting by the roadside – to be guaranteed at all times. Fruit and vegetables have a limited shelf life: we are still in the midst of several major harvest campaigns, and the produce must be transported to cold-storage and processing centres extremely quickly. Delays in deliveries can compromise the quality of the produce and undermine the work carried out by farms over an entire growing season.”