Back on the street. Three years after the milk war, the protest of Sardinian shepherds explodes again. The truce, signed in 2019 and which resulted in an increase in the price paid to farmers, is over. On Monday 14 February the rural world relaunches the mobilization and starts again with a demonstration that promises to be peaceful, from the bridge on the Bitti Sologo road “where it all started in 2019”, when there were the first spills of milk on the asphalt.
Worse than before
«Today the situation is even more serious than what we lived then – said Gianuario Falchi, spokesman for the independent shepherds -. Let’s say that it is dramatic because the calming effect of the price of milk, which in some cases exceeded one euro per liter, was canceled by the increases concerning feed and fertilizers, diesel and electricity ». Crisis to which are added the problems caused by drought. “We no longer have money to feed the flocks and there is no signal from politics and trade unions to ask for a state of natural disaster – he adds -. To this we must then add the fires and the blue tongue ».
A sector that is worth almost half a billion euros
Crisis that affects a sector that is worth 5 per cent of GDP, and is close to but does not reach half a billion euros, and which has 12 thousand companies in which about 50 thousand people are employed, including direct, indirect and induced ones. Then a patrimony of 3 million head of sheep and goats which, overall, guarantee an average annual production of 300 million liters of milk.
Companies for sale for the crisis
Describing how dramatic the situation is is Nenneddu Sanna, another spokesperson for the autonomous movement of Sardinian shepherds and promoter of Monday’s appointment. «In the past we reached the result of the price of milk, but it didn’t help, today we are all on our knees – he says -. Just think of one fact: a company that on average paid 380 euros a month for electricity, this month received a 900 euros bill. And let’s not talk about the increases concerning diesel oil, fertilizers and feed that we cannot carry because transport costs more than the raw material ». Not only that: «Just look on social networks to see how many companies or cattle are for sale. The sector is exhausted ».
Shepherds on trial
And while the protest starts again, the trials are held for the events of 2019. “Hundreds of pastors were denounced for those demonstrations – argues Sanna – and now they are on trial”. On February 23 in Nuoro there will be a trial for some shepherds who occupied the street. “Now we will try to make our voices heard and ensure that a sector can be secured. Because this year it is up to us but if the crisis continues to unfold it will not spare the other regions either “.