The Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, an important supplier of fresh fruit including stonefruit and pears to major markets across Europe, has earmarked some €500,000 as part of a new scheme to make it easier for producers to gain access to financial credit.
The scheme, announced in the last few days, will give priority to the region's peach and nectarine producers, who have seen their returns slashed this year as a result of poor demand in Europe and rising input costs.
The initiative is part of a previously launched campaign led by regional agriculture minister Tiberio Rabboni aimed at revitalising consumption and mitigating the effects of the current market crisis, which has hit the stonefruit sector particularly hard.
A recent agreement between several of the country's leading food retailers – among them Coop Italia and Conad – and Emilia-Romagna's main fruit producer organisations has also gone some way to ensuring growers are guaranteed a minimum price that is above the cost of production.
The new scheme will see interest rates on short-term loans (usually over a 12-month period) offered by banks to producers in the region cut by 2 per cent.
Companies qualifying for financial assistance are being invited to sign up to the scheme before 30 October.
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