Coldiretti Lombardia Talks Livestock, Quotas, and Market Stability

On Monday, September 3rd, the regional board of Coldiretti Lombardia held a meeting in Puegnago del Garda. In addition to the members of the regional council, the event was attended by, among others, Paolo Bedoni, the national president, Franco Pasquali, the national secretary, Gennaro Masiello, the national vice president of the Youth Movement as well as vice president of the National Movement, Gaetano Varano, and don Giuseppe Minelli, ecclesiastical counselor for Coldiretti Brescia.

Naturally present, alongside the Brescia leaders (Ferrari and Comincioli), was the President of Lombardy and national vice president Nino Andena. He explained the importance of several issues, particularly those at the regional level, concerning livestock farming: “which is a fundamental issue for Lombardy.”

Topics Discussed and Future Goals

We addressed the ongoing issue regarding the renewal of quotas and Grana Padano as well as the subsequent resolutions by the Grana Padano Consortium and the unfortunate phenomenon of black market milk.

We also discussed various problems affecting and concerning our sector, aiming to find a unified direction to move forward. The work process was marked by high cohesion and shared purpose. In the coming days, starting from Ponte di Legno, where on September 10th and 11th we will meet with all the representatives of Regione Lombardia, we will establish the Coldiretti Lombardy union line.

Commitments and Positions on the Sector

From Puegnago, the shared commitment emerged to continue with the coherence and transparency that have characterized us across all sectors, regarding both our current and firm stance on BSE and the issue of quotas and product quality.

We reaffirmed the work carried out over the past months and years, remaining consistent and avoiding market deviations or following different campaigns.

Dialogue with Other Unions and the Position of the Consortium

Regarding the stance of the other farmers’ union, Andena stated that within Coldiretti “we have very different ideas, but we are convinced of our own!”

Concerning the Grana Padano Consortium, Antenna said that Grana Padano “is spending 10 billion euros on milk sales, reducing production to safeguard the market. But with this resolution, it influences the milk market of other producers.”

More than promoting the product, what is its institutional purpose? With this resolution, the Consortium is engaging in market operations, also impacting the dairy sector, which is not its area of competence.”