Transparency, supply chain, future. These are the key words of the intervention of Minister Teresa Bellanova at the conclusion, today in Milan, of the Conference promoted by Assica on the main issues and difficulties of Italian pork slaughtering and processing companies.
"We must not be afraid of transparency: it must become the distinctive feature of the Italian pig sector", began Minister Bellanova. “Let's open a new page together. We have a system of controls that works and that we need to strengthen. An extraordinary heritage of PDO and PGI of processed pork. The ability to raise. The new control plans of the upstream production chain and the new regulations - once approved - will make an important contribution. As a Ministry we want to accompany this phase in the best possible way. For this reason we have prepared a decree on the origin on the label on processed pork, a decree on the controls of genetic types for all PDO productions, a decree for the establishment of the National Pig Fund. Three parts of an intervention that must be useful to communicate to the whole world that the national pig sector is strong and safe ".
As for the supply chain, Bellanova stressed the need to "focus on innovative investments in machines to better value meat in a more objective manner as a condition for renewed confidence between farmers and slaughterers". And he announced the investment of at least 1,5 million euros in a strong institutional communication campaign in support of Italian delicatessen products, those protected and not only ".
"We will ask the large-scale retail trade," said the Minister, "to be with us, emphasizing the quality of the products of the national livestock supply chains and, for example, dedicating a month to all the PDO and PGI products of Italian charcuterie, even to those based on beef. This campaign will be shared with all the players in the supply chain, to be built in the wake of the work started with the financing of the "meat plan", and will have to be used to support consumption but above all to build an alliance with citizens, with consumers. Our goal is to guarantee the future of the supply chain ".