Pecorino Romano, 20 million in support from the ministry and regions against US tariffs
Support through the indigent call, regional solidarity fund and Sfirs (Sardinia Region Finance Company) rotation measures
A (first) aid of 20 million euro for Pecorino Romano, undoubtedly one of the PDOs most affected by Trump's tariffs, should arrive by adding together the measures of Bando indigenti, the regional solidarity fund and the rotation of Sfirs (Sardinia Region Finance Company). These are the three interventions agreed with the Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida by the Consortium for the Protection of Pecorino Romano DOP, together with the regions of Sardinia and Lazio.
The amount will have to be worked out in detail, but in the meantime, announcing the measures is the president of the Consorzio di tutela, Gianni Maoddi, who will return to Masaf next week to define the framework.
As far as the call for indigent people is concerned, which will be financed with national and regional funds, the resources will be allocated to the collection of significant quantities of Pecorino Romano cheese to be distributed to associations, charities and solidarity canteens throughout Italy. The objective is twofold: to support people in difficulty and, at the same time, to lighten the stocks of Sardinian companies, currently penalised by the reduction in exports to the American market, which has always been the main export outlet for Pecorino Romano.
"This measure represents an immediate and concrete response to a crisis that threatens to weigh heavily on our companies,' explained Maoddi. 'We are turning a problem into a gesture of solidarity and social responsibility, allowing our cheese to become a tool to help those in need, without losing its symbolic and identity value. With this announcement and the other measures, our cheese continues to be valorised and, at the same time, contributes to an important social objective'.
The regional solidarity fund should be released by a national government regulation. The Sfirs revolving fund will also be available in the form of aid to companies, as well as half a million euro of regional funds for product promotion.
