News
The OI Pomodoro Nord Italia confirmed in the very first days of April the approval of the 130 contracts submitted to the inter-branch organization before the deadline of 16 March for the supply of tomato to processing companies for the 2020 season: all commitments comply with the quantities stated in the pre-contracts and therefore with the production planning targets set by the various stakeholders in the region of northern Italy. Thanks to the responsible participation of all partners, planning seems to be effective and should make it possible to achieve the planned objectives.
This is the main conclusion of a videoconference meeting organized to examine the contracts managed by the IO as a third party, on behalf of the industry itself.
This is the main conclusion of a videoconference meeting organized to examine the contracts managed by the IO as a third party, on behalf of the industry itself.
The programming objectives have been defined jointly by agricultural and industrial operators who, already at the end of the 2019 season, had started a serious and lively discussion with the aim of defining a framework agreement for the territory. This agreement was concluded on 13 February, and includes the important and innovative requirement of scheduling production within the appropriate timeframe, to ensure growers can make appropriate choices and processors can plan adequately.
"In order to frame programming objectives of volume and confirm their sustainability, underlined Rabboni, partners relied on the pre-contracts, drawn up in January, which were then formalized in the contracts signed in March. Serious programming can only benefit the entire sector, both agricultural production and industrial operations, helping to avoid overproduction and guarantee supply requirements, taking into account real market demand.”
By 30 June, the surface areas that have been actually planted will be compared with the objectives set out in the contracts drawn up with the companies. A further verification will take place at the end of October to assess the correspondence of the quantities produced with those stated in the contracts. In the event of non-compliance with programming commitments, a system of economic sanctions can be put in place which will feed a fund, managed by the IO, intended for the financing of development projects that will benefit the whole sector.
During the videoconference, industrial and agricultural representatives also discussed in detail the scenarios generated by the current coronavirus crisis. As a result, they send a message of thanks to the sector as a whole for the great sense of responsibility shown, for the commitment and for the courage demonstrated by farmers, seasonal workers and all employees in the processing industries and related operations who continue to work in these dramatic times, so as to ensure the continuity of business operations that supply Italian tomato products to the tables of consumers around the world.
Source: OI Pomodoro Nord
