POMODORO DA INDUSTRIA. IL PRESIDENTE DI SEZIONE MARCO NICASTRO INTERVISTATO DA FOODNEWS SULL’AVVIO DELLA TRATTATIVA

Pomodoro da industria: parte con il piede sbagliato la trattativa fra produttori e trasformatori. Il primo prezzo rilevato sul mercato del Nord Italia si attesta sui 75 euro a tonnellata, mai così basso dal 2010. Marco Nicastro, presidente della Sezione di Prodotto Confagricoltura intervistato da Foodnews spiega: “I trasformatori chiedono la tracciabilità e le certificazioni aggiuntive, ma stanno anche cercando di tagliare i prezzi pagati ai produttori, con un’offerta che sta ben al di sotto dei costi”.
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Italian tomato sector in dispute over 2016 price
Tomato growers and processors in Italy are already at loggerheads over the raw material price to set for this year’s crop in the country, as local factories seek a price reduction that farmers’ associations deem “unacceptable”.
By Davide Ghilotti
Published: 18 February 2016 04:32 PM
As the early stages of the negotiations are ongoing to agree on the price of fresh tomatoes for the season, FOODNEWS was informed today of a first offer of EUR75 (USD83) per tonne of fresh tomatoes has been put forward in the northern Italian district. We understand this rate to be farm gate.
This is sharply down from the base prices agreed in the last two years and also slightly below the benchmarks sources reckoned negotiations would start at.
The raw material benchmark set in northern Italy for 2014 and 2015 was at EUR92/tonne farm gate, and always above EUR80/tonne farm gate in 2011-13. The last time the minimum price was below that was in 2010, at EUR70/tonne farm gate.
Italian growers’ association Confagricoltura Parma said in a statement provided to FOODNEWS today: “The reference price of EUR75/tonne for processing tomatoes that was put forward cannot be the basis on which to start a negotiation.”
The PO rounded on an offer that, according to president Monica Venturini, is “below the cost of production for farmers” and thus “must be wholly rejected”.
The PO urged northern Italian tomato farms to “significantly reduce” the cultivated areas to the crop and to put on hold production of plantlets in greenhouse “for one week at least” while the position of the two parties are assessed.
Speaking to FOODNEWS this week, Marco Nicastro, president of Confagricoltura’s division on tomato growing, said that “the first meetings in the north between farmers and processors did not produce the results we hoped for”.
He added: “Processors are asking for additional traceability and certifications, but are also trying to cut the prices paid to the growers, offering rates that are well below costs.
“The whole agricultural side has pulled out [for now].”
Earlier this year, sources had told FOODNEWS they believed processors in Italy would aim for a price range of around EUR85/tonne farm gate. Some others suggested negotiations could start at a lower end of EUR80/tonne, and then move upward.
On the part of processors, it is understood that there will be an input aimed at producing less in 2016, so as to uphold market prices. A number of industry sources in the country agreed with this view.
Only last week, Italy’s main association of processors, Anicav, stated that it is “necessary to reduce the volumes destined to processing [this year], to attain a balance of the whole processing tomato supply chain”.
The association claimed that the 2016 processing tomato crop should be reduced by “not less than 15%”.
The prediction is in line with what processors in the US are hoping for (reducing the total harvest) and the plan of generally stabilising production outputs in Europe and within Amitom.
At the time of writing, we are waiting to hear back from processors’ association active in northern Italy, Aiipa. We will update the article with additional information when available.

https://www.agra-net.com/agra/foodnews/raw-material/fresh-fruit/tomatoes/italian-tomato-sector-in-dispute-over-2016-price-507165.htm