With a record increase of 66%, sunflower oil is the food product that recorded the greatest increase in prices in Italy due to the naval blockade from Ukraine from where almost half (46%) arrived. of national imports totaling 260 million kilos last year. This is what emerges from Coldiretti’s analysis of Istat data in reference to the departure from Odessa of the first shipment of 6 thousand tons of sunflower oil destined for Italy.
“The lack of sunflower oil was felt in Italy where – underlines Coldiretti – it was impossible to find on supermarket shelves and numerous chains that were forced to ration sales while many food industries had to change the recipes of their products. In addition to being used for frying, sunflower oil – continues Coldiretti – is in fact used by the food industry for the production of preserves, sauces, mayonnaise, spreadable condiments and the resumption of supplies can mean economic savings for forced companies. to stock up on more expensive alternative products. The recovery in shipments is therefore destined to have effects also on inflation with the prices of food products which increased by an average of 9.6% in July, driven precisely by sunflower oil (+ 66%), by butter ( + 31.9%) and flour (+ 21.5%), which are on the podium of the most expensive products, according to Coldiretti analysis on Istat data “.
The arrival in Italy of almost 1.2 billion kilos of corn for animal feed for milk and meat, soft wheat and sunflower oil depends on the restarting of Ukraine’s grain ships. In fact, Ukraine with a share of just over 13% for a total of 785 million kilos is – continues Coldiretti – Italy’s second corn supplier which is forced to import about half of its needs to guarantee feeding the animals in the stables.
The blocking of supplies from Ukraine has led to concerns about supplies but also sharp increases in a situation in which production costs in Italian stables have increased by 57% according to Crea, bringing national breeders to their knees. Ukraine – Coldiretti specifies – instead guarantees just 3% of the national import of wheat (122 million kilos).
“Italy is forced to import agricultural raw materials due to the low remuneration paid to farmers who have had to reduce national corn production by almost 1/3 in the last 10 years” affirms the president of Coldiretti Ettore Prandini. “It is necessary to work immediately for supply chain agreements between agricultural and industrial companies with precise qualitative and quantitative objectives and fair prices that never fall below production costs as required by the new law to combat unfair practices” concludes Prandini.
Source: Ansa
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