The silence that reigns among the Cilento hills has been shattered by another tragedy, yet another in the agricultural fields of Campania. A 79-year-old man was crushed to death by the tractor he was using on a plot of land between Ottati and Castelcivita, in the province of Salerno. The tractor overturned, possibly due to a failure or an incorrect maneuver, but the Carabinieri will determine the cause. All rescue efforts were futile: by the time the emergency services and the air ambulance arrived, there was nothing more that could be done for the elderly farmer.
This death is not an isolated case. It is the third in just over a month in Campania. On July 10th in Teano, in Caserta, and on June 12th in Cautano, in the Benevento province, two more farmers—aged 67 and 69, respectively—died in the same way: crushed by an overturned tractor. Three different stories, one tragic event. And the state continues to stand still.
Federacma, the Confcommercio federation representing the agricultural machinery sector, has denounced the gravity of this emergency. President Andrea Borio is clear: Three deaths in one month, consistently with the same pattern. It's unacceptable that the state continues to ignore the urgent need for mandatory inspections of agricultural vehicles.
According to INAIL data, over one hundred people die in Italy every year in accidents involving agricultural vehicles, with rollovers being the most common cause. Yet, the law requiring mandatory inspections for these vehicles has been stalled since 2015, never implemented due to the lack of an operational decree. A regulatory loophole that costs lives.
Many of the tractors on the road are old, never inspected, and lack basic safety features, such as roll bars and seat belts. Federacma has been raising the alarm for years, proposing a network of accredited workshops for rapid and comprehensive inspections, but no concrete response has come from Rome. “Security can no longer wait – says Borio – We need controls, prevention, and accountability. Every life saved counts. And that of a farmer is no less valuable than any other."
Article published by Vincenzo Scarpa on July 24, 2025, at 12:15 PM
Vincenzo Scarpa, Journalist for Cronache della Campania and
Political Science student at the University of Naples Federico II.
Passionate about all types of sports, he loves to write and talk mainly about football.
Comments (3)
The statistics are worrying; it seems there are more and more accidents every year. If the government doesn't intervene immediately, there could be further painful losses for farmers.
It's truly sad that there have been so many deaths, but I don't understand why the laws aren't being enforced. Overhauling agricultural machinery is essential to saving lives and must be a priority.
The article describes a very serious situation regarding safety in the fields, but there are errors in the management of tractors. It's important that the government take serious measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.