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Italy: an innovative plan for the Pomodoro Nord IO
The IO is getting involved in crop planning and research
Northern Italy's IO for processing tomatoes has approved an innovative three-year program for the period running 2018-2020.
As from next season, the IO will support a planned approach for the industry's crop production, increase its investments in research, develop its capacity for intervening in emergency situations and further improve production in northern Italy.
The IO was given the green light by its General Assembly to get involved in planning the crop, a decision that includes and extends the objectives stated in the previous pattern (2015-2017). "At the request of our members, we will be more committed than ever to gathering all the data required for planning planted surfaces and the quantities of raw materials to be processed – stated the president of the IO Tiberio Rabboni – according to the terms of the framework contract and of the resulting supply and processing contracts."
Northern Italy's IO for processing tomatoes has approved an innovative three-year program for the period running 2018-2020.As from next season, the IO will support a planned approach for the industry's crop production, increase its investments in research, develop its capacity for intervening in emergency situations and further improve production in northern Italy.
The IO was given the green light by its General Assembly to get involved in planning the crop, a decision that includes and extends the objectives stated in the previous pattern (2015-2017). "At the request of our members, we will be more committed than ever to gathering all the data required for planning planted surfaces and the quantities of raw materials to be processed – stated the president of the IO Tiberio Rabboni – according to the terms of the framework contract and of the resulting supply and processing contracts."
"Basically, while remaining outside of price negotiations [for raw tomatoes], which are not part of its remit, the IO will gather data relating to the agricultural intentions of producers' organizations and to the industry's processing targets, depending on the market conditions of the previous season. This data will be used to determine an anonymous and aggregate value that will be made available to members, who will then be able to base their decisions on objective and analytical information, in compliance with the framework contract, in a way that is totally independent of the IO, as required by the rules."
The IO has been confirmed in its mission to check on the commitments taken by the different parties. The sharp increase in "organic" crops is actually a novelty for the IO, which will also be in charge of controlling the agreements between agricultural and industrial operators in this category.
The new three-year plan also includes a consolidation of the IO's commitment to the coordination of research and experimentation activities. "We will be seeking new forms of collaboration and relations with other structures, notably the CREA, the Council for the Agricultural Research and Analysis of Agrarian Economy, which also works in the tomato sector. It will be interesting and useful for the industry as a whole to take account of such research, particularly in the area of variety trials carried out by the CREA." A systematic study of production costs within the industry of northern Italy has been scheduled, and it should allow a comparison with the costs of other industries around the world, in order to evaluate the work of the IO and identify further actions to be undertaken.
Sources: OI Pomodoro da Industria del Nord Italia
