Italian Wheat Farmers Demand Action as Prices fall Below Production Costs
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Amidst growing concerns over unfair market practices, Italian agricultural organizations are escalating their fight for fairer prices for durum wheat, with producers facing costs exceeding market value.
Italian wheat farmers are facing a critical situation as prices plummet below the cost of production, prompting calls for government intervention and increased supply chain transparency.Recent data certified by Ismea, the Italian Institute of Services for Agricultural and Food Markets, reveals a widening gap between production costs and market prices, fueling protests and legal challenges from agricultural groups.
Cia Challenges Commodity Exchange Price Fixing
On Thursday, October 7, 2025, Giuseppe Creanza, director of Cia Levante Bari-Bat, voted against the fixing of durum wheat prices at €280-€285 per ton for high-quality wheat and €270-€275 per ton for merchantable wheat at the Bari Commodity Exchange. Creanza argued that these prices are considerably below the average production costs estimated by Ismea, ranging from €318 to €334 per ton.
“The math doesn’t add up,” a representative from Cia Puglia stated, highlighting a clear imbalance within the supply chain. “The first link in production bears the brunt of it, without which there would be no bread and pasta truly made with Italian raw materials.”
Formal Complaint Filed Over Unfair Practices
Last week,gennaro Sicolo,national vice-president and president of Cia – Italian Farmers Puglia,announced the filing of a formal complaint with the ICQRF (Inspectorate for the Central for the Protection of Quality and the Repression of Fraud) of the Ministry of Agriculture. The complaint alleges unfair practices driving down the price of Italian wheat below production costs, which, on average in southern italy, stand at approximately €318 per ton.
according to Sicolo, producer price quotations in the Bari and Foggia commodity exchanges have fallen to €280 per ton, leaving producers unable to recoup their expenses. Ismea data further supports this claim, estimating average production costs of €334.28 per ton in the Puglia region, based on a yield of 3.5 tons per hectare.
Legislative Decree Violations Alleged
Creanza’s declaration of vote explicitly cites violations of Legislative Decree 198/2021 and Decree 63/2024, which address unfair commercial practices within the agricultural and food supply chain. The decree mandates that managers of regulated markets, like the Commodity Exchange, report prices falling below average production costs to the ICQRF.
Cia’s actions are rooted in the belief that producers are not even recovering their production costs, which currently stand at €334.28 per tonne in Apulian areas, as certified by Ismea.Sence 2022, the producer price of Italian durum wheat has decreased by 44%, while the price of pasta has risen by 23% and bread by over 30%.
Coldiretti Focuses on Supply Chain Contracts
Meanwhile, Coldiretti Puglia is promoting a conference entitled “Challenges of the future: supply chain and research agreements” at Agrilevante on October 9, 2025.The event aims to foster a stronger, more transparent, and innovative supply chain model for the Apulian cereal sector.
The conference will bring together representatives from research institutions, industry, distribution, and the agricultural world, including Alfonso Cavallo and Pietro Piccioni, president and director of Coldiretti Puglia, respectively. Participants will discuss strategies to guarantee profitability for producers, quality for consumers, and value for the territory. A protocol for testing cereal crops between the Sis and the Ettore Pomarici Santomasi Foundation of Gravina will also be signed, promoting research and innovation in the region.
Cia Puglia is urging the submission of “Granary Italy” measures and calling for further intervention from the national government and the European Union. They also encourage consumers to choose pasta made with 100% Italian wheat to support the supply chain and protect the local economy.
