Italy: Fruit and vegetable companies at stake, urgent need to relaunch the sector

Black summer for fruit and vegetables, flagship and national pride, which is worth 14 billion and represents 27% of the total Italian agricultural production. “The combined effect of the increase in production costs with inflation, seasoned by the extreme climatic trend, has created an explosive mix that worries us because it puts the future of our businesses and employment in the sector at risk. Now we need to square up, move forward and try to recover as much as possible." This was stated by Michele Ponso, president of the Confagricoltura national fruit and vegetable federation. In Italy, recalls the Organization of Agricultural Entrepreneurs, there are 300 thousand fruit and vegetable companies, the sector that absorbs the greatest employment, over 40%. We are among the world's largest producers of tomatoes, fennel, artichokes, aubergines, turnip greens, endives, apples and pears, peaches, nectarines, apricots, table grapes, melons and kiwis. On the export front, Italy achieves ...