Over one hundred thousand Made in Italy apricots are being offered free to residents and tourists to denounce "the ongoing speculation in the countryside, where farmers are paid a few cents per kilo for their fruit. It's better to give it away to help combat the heat than to sell it below production costs, with prices skyrocketing from field to table due to distortions along the supply chain and uncontrolled imports of foreign produce passed off as Italian," say Coldiretti farmers, who promoted this unique form of protest. Campania was chosen for the initiative, one of the main producing regions where farmers at the Sorrento hydrofoil docks and in Piazza Tasso, at the port of Pozzuoli, and at the Masuccio pier in Salerno have decided to give away underpriced summer fruit in the countryside. Prices are multiplying three to fourfold, with no sales for consumers in stores, where, according to Coldiretti's analysis, consumption is also increasing with the heat. Coldiretti emphasizes that Italy is the European leader in apricot production, with 286 tons, or approximately 45% of the EU total, ahead of France, Spain, and Greece, which have flooded the domestic market. The initiative's goal is to raise awareness of the difficult situation facing Italian farmers, whose harvests have already been severely impacted by bad weather, but also to support the consumption of seasonal Italian fruits such as peaches, nectarines, and apricots, which help combat high temperatures and maintain good health. To optimize spending, obtain the best value for money, and support local communities and employment, Coldiretti recommends verifying national origins, purchasing local products that don't have to travel extensively, and buying directly from farmers at markets or on farms.
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