‘Grape harvests at risk without vouchers’ – and the export sector fears the introduction of tariffs
VERONA On the second day of Vinitaly, alarm bells are ringing for the agri-food sector. Producers are calling on the government to commit to a specific (and short) timeframe for finding an alternative legislative measure to the vouchers, which were abolished to scupper the referendum on 28 May. Meanwhile, the trade unions representing workers in the agri-food sector are also calling for significant amendments to Law 199 on the ‘caporalato’ phenomenon, which contains provisions that are ‘unfair and excessively punitive, even for businesses operating within the law’. These demands are emerging against a backdrop of serious concern over the possible and imminent introduction of tariffs on products that symbolise the Italian agri-food sector. The alarm over vouchers has been raised by a study from Coldiretti. ‘We are preparing for the first grape harvest without vouchers, with the loss of 25,000 jobs in the vineyards for young people and pensioners.’ “We need to find a viable alternative,” said national president Roberto Moncalvo, “because the repeal of the voucher scheme has penalised the agricultural sector.” Matteo Zoppas, president of Confindustria Veneto, also supports Coldiretti’s call. “The vouchers,” he said on the sidelines of a round-table discussion, “were a significant tool for flexibility. Now the government and parliament must find a solution as soon as possible that offers the same level of flexibility; otherwise, their abolition will prove to be an additional cost for our farms.”
