the Clai coop asks the government to lower the VAT – Corriere.it

After last year’s increases, the increase of cost of meat it is also continuing in 2023. In the first quarter, the cost of slaughter pigs recorded a 34% increase. PDO fresh hams increased by 19% and meat for the production of cured meats by 30%. The alarm goes off there Clai (Cooperative of Imolese farmers workers born in 1962), one of the most important agro-food realities in the country and active in the field of meat and cured meats, which asks for the support of the institutions and the intervention of the Meloni government For lower the VAT (from 10 to 4%) and organize a real table that involves all the steps: from breeding to final distribution, observes Pietro D’Angeli, general manager of the cooperative with a turnover of 316 million and 564 employees. Despite these numbers, Clai finds itself experiencing this paradox, like other realities in the sector: in 2022 it increased its turnover by 11% but also saw its profits reduced by a third (32%, to be precise). .

The reasons are obvious: First of all i energy and raw material costs – explains D’Angeli -. And at the moment no cost reductions are expected, above all for two reasons: the drop in pig production in Italy and Europe and the forecasts of a reduction incorn offering (fundamental for animal nutrition, ed) caused by drought. The result of this situation, according to the cooperative, has resulted in a 25% increase in production costs. And if we consider that consumer price inflation reached 7.6% in March 2023, we understand how Clai, together with other realities in the sector, only partially unloaded the increases recorded during the last year and a half, also due to resistance from large-scale retail trade. To deal with the situation, as good people from Romagna we are used to rolling up our sleeves – remembers D’Angeli -. It is no coincidence that we have continued our project for the creation of a trigeneration plant, which will make us more autonomous from an energy point of view. We have continued to hire personnel and continue with the investment plan to strengthen the structures. The cooperative has not forgotten its commitment in the field of solidarity: on the occasion of Easter, for example, he made a donation to Community of Sant’Egidio which works in favor of the most fragile groups.

But even those who do not fall into the poorest categories find themselves making different consumption choices than in the past. People are in difficulty and are turning their attention more frequently to purchasing categories positioned lower down – points out the manager -. The risks for a company like ours are obvious. The reference to the quality-oriented development path on which Clai has always aimed. Even in this period of rising raw material prices, however, we have decided not to sacrifice thehigh quality of our productsconfirming the commitments on the control of the 100% Italian supply chain, on safety, on expertise, on all-round sustainability. We have also strengthened all business areas. A confirmation of this attention is the birth of two totally preservative-free products such as the Imola 1962 salami and the seasoned guanciale. In short, as emerges from the words of the general manager, there are companies which, despite the not very encouraging situation, are fully doing their part. If, however, we do not see a change of scenery, all this may no longer be sufficient: At the moment it is difficult to understand how long we will have to work in these conditions – D’Angeli cuts short -. We also need to feel the support of the government: reduce VATtaking it as an example 10% to 4%, thus equating meat and cured meats to cheeses and fruit and vegetables, would help to cheer up the market. Furthermore, a real table should be organized involving all the steps: from breeding to final distribution. By working together, solutions can be found that can safeguard every link in this fundamental supply chain of our country.