Italy: Sicilian cow's milk production costs increase but not the price at the barn

The cry of alarm rises from the Sicilian stables. It has been producing at a loss for some months and the milk system in south-eastern Sicily is in danger of imploding. In recent months, production costs have increased dramatically and Sicilian dairy cattle breeders can no longer cope. In recent months, everything has increased, from feed (corn and soy + 30%) to fertilizers, fuels, energy. To worsen the situation, then, the drought that reduced company production, thus leading to a massive use of the purchase of fodder and feed outside the livestock farms. Today a liter of milk is sold between 36 and 39 euro cents against direct costs of about 45 cents. The situation has been going on for at least 7 months, so much so that most of the companies have come to financial collapse and the farmers are desperate. The point of the situation was made in recent days in Ragusa where on the initiative of Legacoop agroalimentare Sicilia, the cooperatives Progetto Natura, Latterie Ragusane, ...