The olive regeneration plan in Puglia continues to be a battleground between Ministry of Agriculture and Region. And perhaps next 8 June, when the parties will meet to take stock of the situation, it will be possible to understand whether the institutional supply chain can be reconnected for the good of olive growing and above all of olive growers and oil millers.
Il Minister Francesco Lollobrigida at the question time in the Chamber he was not at all tender: "The plan to relaunch olive growing in Puglia, the cornerstone of Made in Italy olive growing, and for which the ministry has allocated 300 million euros - he ruled - lies in the drawers of the Region. Despite the many requests for clarifications on the use of the funds, we have not received any response". The same minister also recalled the government's attention to the sector. “Olive oil – he underlined – is a strategic sector of Made in Italy. We predicted interventions both in the CAP and in the Pnrr. In the first case, a coupled income support for olive growers producing oils with a geographical indication for which they are allocated 12 million euros per year until 2027. The Strategic Plan also provides for a specific eco-scheme with an annual allocation of 150 million. To these resources must be added the 35 million from the oil CMO for the actions of the operators and the 100 million allocated by the Pnrr for the modernization of the mills.
We didn't stop here – added Lollobrigida – we are working on the interventions in favor of land consolidation and to simplify the mortgage tax package, cadastral and land registry. We should also mention the 60 million euros allocated to adopt, in the replanting of destroyed olive groves, olive tree varieties resistant to Xylella in Puglia. Finally, a national strategic plan for olive growing is being studied, but first the recognition of the single inter-professional association which will be the key interlocutor to truly implement a plan to relaunch the sector”.
From the Puglia Region it was the Councilor for Agriculture, Donato Pentassuglia to reply: “We are sincerely sorry for the minister's accusations. A few minutes ago the communication arrived that the minister had delegated Undersecretary La Pietra to a discussion that we too have been requesting for some time and which has only now been set for next 8 June. You can't give vent to complaints without knowledge of the facts. Of the money that has been made available to us, only a part of the 300 million allocated, we have committed 70% and already paid 40%. Other than piano in a drawer. It should also be added that these 300 million, when fully available, will be used to regenerate just 10% of Apulian olive growing destroyed by Xylella fastidiosa. From the confrontation with the ministry, we hope it will be clarified how to help that other 90%”.
