With the resignation of the Agriculture Councillor, Gian Franco Satta, and thus a change in political leadership of our island's most important productive sector, how will the Sardinia Region improve its response to a world in dire straits? How does President Alessandra Todde intend to bring about an urgent change of pace regarding the numerous critical issues that must be overcome in the immediate future?
This is the request made by Agrinsieme Sardegna coordinator Daniele Caddeo to the regional president in view of the upcoming changeover at the helm of the Department of Agriculture.
"In light of the new developments that have emerged in recent days," the coordinator continues, "we ask President Todde to urgently convene us for a wide-ranging discussion on the ideas and projects she intends to promote with the resumption of political action in the Department. The primary production and agri-food processing sectors are facing challenges and crises that are worrying thousands of companies: from the management of the bovine dermatitis emergency to the new US tariff policies that will impact the trade of Made in Sardinia products, especially Pecorino Romano DOP, and therefore the price of milk paid to farmers. Regarding Pecorino Romano, there is also the entire issue related to the redefinition of the new production regulations and the debate on the openness to milk from non-native sheep breeds in the historic territories authorized for processing. Then there is the emergency regarding the rising costs of sea freight. This increase is due to the ETS (Emission Trading Scheme) tax, with which the European Union has fined shipowners for failure to comply with new rules on managing CO2 emissions. This increase, when passed on to transporters, risks dealing the final blow to increasingly fragile exports across the Tyrrhenian Sea.
The list of problems, Caddeo points out, "is too long to be addressed in a single meeting. However, if we truly care about our primary sector, we must put the long-awaited reform of the three regional agricultural agencies—Laore, Agris, and Argea—back at the center of the political debate ."
