In Puglia, in 2023, agriculture is the sector that has recorded the worst birth-death balance of active businesses: as of 30 November 2023, they are registered in the Apulian chambers of commerce 75,386 active businesses against 77,619 on 30 November 2022. The annual balance is negative, 2,233 companies are missingwith a contraction of 2.9%.
“This is the most emblematic fact of the great structural difficulties facing the Apulian primary sectorin each province, is still facing,” he said Gennaro Sicolopresident of CIA Puglia and national vice-president of CIA Agricoltori Italiani, during the press conference that the organization held at the Hotel Parco dei Principi in Bari to outline priorities and prospects for Apulian agriculture in 2024.
In the study of the CIA Puglia Economic Observatory in collaboration with AFORISMA, the calculations of the data analyst Davide Stasi highlight another critical issue: in Puglia, the number of workers in agriculture has decreased in 4 out of 5 areas (the positive exception is Foggia): in Bari and in the BAT they went from 36,076 to 35,847; in the Tarantino area, from 15,215 to 14,903; in the province of Brindisi from 11,846 to 11,546 units; in the Lecce area, from 11,350 to 11,255; only in the province of Foggia did they increase from 30,442 to 32,705. Overall, in Puglia, agricultural workers currently stand at 106,256 units, a figure that confirms how the primary sector is the first and most important 'open-air industry' in the region. The sector, in fact, represents 22.8% of the total Apulian companies, with 331,034 active companies.
VALUE OF WHEAT AND PROFITABILITY. The value recognized to Apulian durum wheat and the profitability of cereal companies suffered a real collapse in 2023: from 29 June 2022, when the average price of durum wheat was equal to 575.25 euros/tonne, it reached on 20 December 2023 at 370.75 euros/tonne, with a drop of approximately 36%. Not only wheat, several agricultural products recorded price drops throughout 2023. The average price of durum wheat in Puglia, in 2023, was around 381 euros/tonne.
OIL. The price of olive oil is constantly growing. The 2023 olive growing campaign was positive for Puglia from both a qualitative and quantitative point of view, while in almost all other Italian regions production drastically decreased. For olive producers and mill workers, however, there is no shortage of difficulties. In fact, there has been a decline in volumes traded, but with a further increase in values. The production price of Terra di Bari PDO oil rose by 46.2% (from 6.23 euros/kg to 9.1), with an annual average of 7.48 euros. Same values for Bisceglie. In the Brindisi square, the annual average is 7.46 euros, but at the end of 2023 the production price of quality oil reached 8.65 euros; 8.93 in Foggia, 8.65 euros in Lecce and Taranto.
FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. The increasingly scarce availability of water, the increase in production costs and the sometimes unfair competition from alternative supply chains and crops are among the main elements that penalize Apulian agricultural producers with effects also on their investments and related profits. In the last two years, there has been an acceleration of the dynamics of price increases at all stages of the supply chain and this has led to a significant increase in retail prices. This dynamic slowed down in the second half of 2023. Despite the progressive contraction of purchases, as a result of the increase in prices, the amount of spending has nevertheless grown. The increase in price lists also had effects on the trade balance: the value of exports increased, although it decreased in quantity. Regarding the prospects, it can be said that there will be a decline in sales which, for the moment, will be offset by the increase in retail prices. The strong inflationary wave that has reduced the purchasing power of families could favor the sale of preserves to the detriment of fresh products.
GRAPE. From the northernmost tip to the southernmost tip, vineyards across Puglia were severely damaged by downy mildew in 2023. The production of wine grapes has been drastically reduced, with a wine campaign irremediably compromised. Even the past year, therefore, and not only for inventories in factories, is worsening the crisis that has affected the sector since 2022 and even before.
#Agriculture #Puglia #lost #businesses #year
