Transporters said on Thursday, 22 October, that Sicilian blockades would be lifted after talks with the government, and Calabrian drivers suspended protests.
About one million litres of buffalo milk produced on 21 October could not be made into cheese, and Pier Maria Saccani puts losses at about three million euros in 24 hours.
La Doria halted production at seven southern plants and sent half its staff on forced leave, while Digi24 says almost all petrol stations in the Naples province ran out of fuel.
Tages Anzeiger puts the package at about 130 million euros, including 60 million for agriculture, 10 million for fisheries and 60 million for transport.
The doctors' and dentists' college said fuel shortages hampered doctors and ambulances in Naples, and Bruno Zuccarelli called for a responsible protest.
Italian truckers have eased protests that have disrupted fuel and food supplies in southern Italy for about a week. The drivers blocked roads and motorways over high diesel prices, which AP links to the war in Iran. On Thursday, 22 October, transporters said blockades in Sicily would be lifted after talks with the government, and truck drivers in Calabria suspended their protests. Vincenzo Parisi, a transporters' spokesman in Campania, told RAI he hoped roads in that region would reopen during Thursday. Deputy Infrastructure Minister Edoardo Rixi told RAI the protests had caused 'serious disruption' in Campania, hitting supermarkets, petrol stations and hospitals. Meloni's office called 'ridiculous' a front-page Il Fatto Quotidiano story suggesting the government's Rome seat had run out of toilet paper.
Buffalo mozzarella production in Campania has been among the hardest hit. Pier Maria Saccani, director of the Consortium for the Protection of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP, said about one million litres of milk produced on Wednesday, 21 October, could not be made into cheese because of the blockades. He put the loss at about three million euros in 24 hours. Buffalo must be milked daily, and the protected designation requires milk to be processed within 60 hours of milking. Several cheese factories have closed, and some farmers are feeding unclaimed milk to their animals. Saccani said:
“It is a very, very complex and delicate situation.”
Marco Nobis, a dairy chief in Campania, told Il Post his company had to stop and also lacked the polystyrene boxes it needs for shipping.
Basic products such as milk, meat, eggs and bread are missing from southern shops, and petrol stations are running dry. Digi24 says almost all petrol stations in the province of Naples have run out of petrol and diesel. La Doria, a tomato sauce and pasta producer, halted production at seven southern Italian plants and sent half its staff on forced leave. Its president and chief executive, Antonio Ferraioli, told La Repubblica that southern products could vanish from supermarket shelves nationwide if the protest continues. Airports in the south face shrinking kerosene reserves, and several have told pilots to plan refuelling stops. According to Digi24, more than 1,300 drivers were reportedly detained over the blockades.
The Meloni government has announced a package of about 130 million euros, including tax relief, according to Tages Anzeiger. The package includes about 60 million euros for agriculture, 10 million for fisheries and 60 million for transport companies facing higher fuel costs.
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Digi24 instead describes the extra funds as several hundred million euros, and says transporters want lower pump prices rather than new money. A truck convoy was underway in Naples in protest against the package, Ansa reported. In Naples, the doctors' and dentists' college said fuel shortages made it harder for doctors to reach hospitals and clinics and for ambulances to respond to emergencies. Its head, Bruno Zuccarelli, acknowledged the drivers' concerns while urging restraint:
“We understand the concerns of the truck drivers, but we call for a responsible protest.”
He added that fuel for ambulances must be guaranteed and that medical staff must be able to reach their workplaces.
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Transporters said blockades in Sicily would be lifted after talks with the government on Thursday, 22 October, while buffalo mozzarella output in Campania has stalled.
AI text based on reports by Stirile ProTV, The Telegraph, G4Media.ro and other publishers. Published .