Compensation for indirect damages
Confagricoltura Milano, Lodi, Monza Brianza asks the Ministry of Agriculture to double the funds provided by the ministerial decree of 19 December last for the compensation of indirect damages caused by the African Swine Fever (ASF). In the next few hours, President Francesco Pacchiarini is ready to formalize his request to the Ministry: «The situation is serious, the virus never goes away, we have seen it in these days in light of a new case of PSA in Vigolzone, in the Piacenza area, where the disease has hit yet another breeding farm. Companies urgently need a new injection of resources to overcome this difficult moment and look ahead.», he declares.
The sector at risk of collapse
"With only 10 million euros allocated, it is unthinkable to compensate for the losses suffered by our farms, in addition to the fact that the allocated funds provide coverage until October, but for damages from November 2024 onwards there are no compensations - he explains - Damages that concern the depreciation of breeding animals, increased costs for the extension of breeding, health gaps and lost production. The sector risks collapse". The provinces of Milan and Lodi are home to over 420.000 pigs and represent a strategic production reality for the entire national supply chain that is paying a very high price due to the indirect effects of ASF, including the problems related to staff on redundancy or fired or to large quantities of feed that remain unsold or are difficult to dispose of.
The urgency of interventions
Signals of alarm and concern also come from Assosuini (Italian Pig Breeders' Association) which, on Thursday 16 January, met with the Regional Commissions for Productive Activities and Agriculture to update on the evolution of the emergency. Confagricoltura Milano, Lodi, Monza Brianza therefore announces that it will send a communication to the Ministry, reiterating the urgency of concrete interventions adequate to the scale of the crisis. "The economic losses are increasingly difficult to contain for our companies. The doubling of funds is a necessary measure to stem the devastating effects of this disease and guarantee the survival of the sector". (Source CONFAGRICOLTURA)