Premier Giorgia Meloni promised her
government will take action to make sure farmers' get fair
prices for their produce during a meeting with agricultural
associations on Friday, as farmer tractor protests continued in
many parts of the country.
"We want to address the very important issue of production
costs," Meloni said during the encounter, according to sources.
"We want to prevent products being sold below the cost of
production and give farmers a fair price".
She said the government would boost law-enforcement checks on
unfair trading practices and increase monitoring of the prices
of agricultural products and the average production costs of the
main supply chains.
She also said that a tax-relief measure regarding income-tax
Irpef for farmers would be changed, rather than scrapped
completely, to ensure it is better targetted.
"In recent years the Irpef exemption has been an unfair measure
that mainly favoured large entrepreneurs and companies with high
business volumes," Meloni said during two hours of talks,
according to the sources.
"The government's proposal is to help farmers who need it by
limiting the Irpef exemption to agrarian and Sunday income that
does not exceed 10,000 euros.
"In other words, the Irpef exemption must be for the weakest, so
it is concrete support to those who produce (food), and not a
privilege".
The question seemed to create some friction within the
government, with Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo
Salvini saying the tax relief was not enough.
"I am convinced that we can do even more," League leader Salvini
said.
Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, a leading member of
Meloni's right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI), replied by saying
that the Irpef exemptions, which government had intended to
suspend completely, will remain for 90% of Italian farmers.
"As it was, the Irpef exemption created an imbalance between
Italians," Lollobrigida said.
"It is right to continue to exempt those who need it in this
time of difficulty.
"But there were exempted Italians who have incomes that are not
just above average, they are also above average for the rich.
"This is not tax fairness.
"(Economy) Minister (Giancarlo) Giorgetti says the measure that
will emerge from these talks will guarantee enough resources for
more than 90% of agricultural enterprises".
Four tractors driven by farmers representing Agricultural
Redemption, one of the several groups involved in the peaceful
tractor protests gripping Italy against European and national
agricultural policies and general hardship in the sector, drove
past the Colosseum on Friday morning as part of a small
demonstration in the city.
The tractors, sounding their horns and escorted by police
vehicles, were greeted with applause, thumbs-up signs and kisses
as they made their drive-past before heading for Circo Massimo.
"For the first time tractors have entered the heart of the
capital without flags behind them. It is a great result," said
Agricultural Redemption leader Salvatore Fais.
Of the increasingly evident divisions within the tractor protest
movement, he said: "Each group has the same problems and each
one wages its own battles".
The group also said that the tractor procession on Rome's GRA
motorway ring road is scheduled for Friday evening.
(see related stories).
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