Coronavirus emergency: the tomato industry is operational

The Coronavirus emergency does not stop the tomato industry from Northern Italy which has been reorganized, following principles of responsibility and maximum safety, to maintain commitments and ensure the availability of its food products to the consumer.
On 16 March, as per the Northern Italy Area Framework Agreement, 130 contracts for the supply of raw materials destined for summer processing in 25 processing plants in the Northern basin were filed with the Interprofessional Organization OI Pomodoro da Industry of Northern Italy. On the basis of the contracts, transplants will now be set up by the grower organizations to which approximately 2 000 farmers in Northern Italy refer. 

"The time schedule has been respected – reassures Tiberio Rabboni, president of the OI industrial tomato from Northern Italy – despite fears of possible slowdowns linked to the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic. The supply chain was immediately reorganized and, in compliance with the contents of government decrees, managed to complete the delivery of contracts electronically. Now – adds Rabboni – the period of field transplants can begin. Even the preparation of the seedlings is taking place on a regular basis: there are therefore all the preconditions for the tomato campaign to take place in its usual times and following the agreed production plans.
With this in mind, the guidelines issued by the European Commission for Member States on border management are very reassuring. The Commission's objective is to protect citizens' health, but also to guarantee the availability of essential goods and services on the assumption that the free movement of goods is fundamental to maintaining the availability of products. This is also crucial for our sector, which always had the vocation of exporting tomato products. The intervention of EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) is also reassuring, which has declared that there is no evidence that food is a transmission source of Covid-19, as already indicated at the beginning of March by the Italian Ministry of Health”.

Source: OI Pomodoro da industria del Nord Italia

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