War of wheat: Prandini, ‘against threats Putin Italy seeks self-sufficiency’

“The announcement by President Vladimir Putin was enough to increase tensions, tensions linked to those arising from the exponential increase in energy costs, especially for the continent of Europe and our country, and the discussion on the gas price ceiling. , which in our opinion is fundamental, also because otherwise the stability of the entire agri-food sector would be at risk. But it is a real exploitation to call into question what had already been agreed in recent weeks on grain exports. Russia’s threat to blow up the deal resulted in an immediate 3.3% increase in wheat prices ”. The president of Coldiretti Ettore Prandini told Adnkronos, commenting on the Russian president’s statements regarding a possible blocking of cereal exports. Putin’s threat to cut Ukrainian and Russian grain exports to Europe, in fact, has caused the price of wheat to jump 3.3% to highs in almost two months due to international concerns about shipments from the Black Sea, such as Coldiretti notes Wednesday, prices closed at $ 8.44 per bushel (27.2 kilos) at the Chicago Board of Trade, and then rebounded on the Asian market, highlights the agricultural organization. The market is shaken by the possibility that the corridors for trade in cereals can be closed thanks to the agreement reached between the United Nations, Turkey, Ukraine and Russia to ensure trade in the Black Sea ports. Uncertainty fuels speculation with strong fluctuations in prices that in rich countries favor inflation and hunger in poor ones. kilograms of wheat for bread-making and corn for animal feed, imported annually from Russia and Ukraine, aggravating a situation that sees our country dependent on foreign imports for 64% of common wheat (necessary for bread, biscuits and sweets) and 47% of the maize used to feed the stables, at a time when national crops have been cut down by drought. “Unfortunately, Italy today”, reiterates Prandini, “is still a country that needs imports as regards some forms of cereals, fortunately not all, especially soft wheat and corn, which is used to feed the livestock of our livestock supply chains “. This should make us think, says the president of the agricultural organization. We should create” a different path and abandon a mechanism whereby products are purchased where they cost less and production activities are relocated “. For Prandini it is essential to “return to value what we can do within our borders, also with regard to agriculture and the production of cereals”. To do this, “investments of an infrastructural nature are needed, and the drought we have experienced is an example of this. To date, we are the country that has the lowest rainwater holding capacity: only 11%. Thanks also to the resources of the NRP we can make a strategic plan for the construction of new storage basins and go from 11% to 52%. In this way we would be able not only to face emergency situations but above all to bring water even to those agricultural land that today is not irrigated and therefore to triple the yields per surface. This would already put most of the supply chains in a position to be absolutely self-sufficient “, suggests Prandini.” Food is an economic value but above all it is essential to guarantee social stability even within our country. Never before have we understood its importance as today ”, concludes the president of Coldiretti.