>>>ANSA/Farmers threaten to unleash tractors on Rome,Sanremo

(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 8 - One of the main groups of protesting Italian farmers said Thursday they would unleash their tractors to roam freely on the streets of Rome Saturday unless Farm Minister Francesco Lollobrigida agreed to see them about their grievances.
    The group, Agricultural Redemption, which has already agreed with Rome officials to hold a tractor parade in Piazza San Giovanni Friday, said they would left their vehicles roam across the whole city unless Lollobrigida set up a meeting.
    "If we don't get answers our tractors will leave the garrison (on the capital's outskirts) and go free around Rome," said Andrea Papa, one of the leaders of Agricultural Redemption, speaking of an "ultimatum" to the minister of agriculture.
    "We want a meeting with the minister but so far no one has contacted us," said Papa.
    "Tomorrow's demonstration in San Giovanni is the only positive result of these days and tomorrow morning our ten tractors will move from the garrison escorted by the police.
    "But if the minister does not respond to the ultimatum that expires on Saturday at 12 noon, the tractors will go free around the city".
    The group said they had cancelled plans to hold a major rally in the iconic Roman square and would instead send the 10 tractors as a symbolic protest gesture, as well as parading four vehicles around the Colosseum.
    The group also said it was not happy that the Sanremo Song Festival will represent them just by host Amadeus reading out a message and threatened to send all their tractors to the Ligurian town unless their representatives are allowed on stage at the annual showbiz extravaganza and song contest.
    "If we are not able to go on the Ariston stage, we will be forced to concentrate all the tractors of the Lombardy, Piedmont and Liguria garrisons, which are already organising themselves to potentially reach Sanremo by tomorrow or Saturday morning, on Sanremo, starting tomorrow," said Agricultural Redemption.
    "So far we have shown a high sense of responsibility, but this has not been repaid as no one has contacted us so far," the movement added.
    The biggest protest group, Farmers Betrayed, said Wednesday that a planned tractor parade around Rome some time next week would involve thousands of vehicles and could see them roaming around the historic Circus Maximus.
    Lollobrigida said Thursday he had met and was continuing to meet protesting farmers' groups.
    "As for the farmers' delegations, I have already met them and we are still meeting associations'," he said.
    "All associations in Italy have a dialectical relationship with the government.
    "I do not have the problem of meeting, when I think they are good people", I have met many delegations, or individuals or groups".
    The minister recalled that there is an "archipelago of (groups)", but that 'there are some who are evidently used as testimonials for positions that have little to do with representation", suggesting he would not heed the ultimatum.
    Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, for his part, said the government is weighing the idea of granting an exemption on IRPEF personal income tax to Italian farmers, adding to existing measures, to meet some of the demands of the groups that have been driving their tractors around the country this week.
    "Without prejudice to the measures already adopted and previously mentioned, as well as all the other easement measures in force for the agricultural sector, the intervention on the subject of IRPEF exemption for agricultural entrepreneurs in need of effective support is currently being evaluated, possibly envisaging specific exemptions," he said.
    "Such a measure, therefore, could be included in the first useful regulatory vehicle - which could also be the Milleproroghe (budget omnibus rider) decree law currently being examined by the Lower House". (ANSA).