Terre d’Oltrepò crisis, Consorzio Vini Oltrepò: “close to vine growers and employees”

Following the appeal by, among others, the vicepresident of the Senate, Gianmarco Centinaio, who, in recent days called for the appointment of a commissioner for Terre d’Oltrepò, the largest cooperative in the territory of Oltrepò Pavese, currently without operational leadership after the board members elected in July declined their appointments, Consorzio Vini dell’Oltrepò, headed by Francesca Seralvo (producer at Tenuta Mazzolino, ed), has taken a public stance ahead of the upcoming assembly scheduled for August 8–9, as reported by local media. “Today, Oltrepò Pavese wine sector faces a very complex challenge in an already unfavorable economic climate. As a Consortium, we stand with all the vine growers and employees of Terre d’Oltrepò, whose crisis compels us to respond with unity, looking toward the future - and the present - of a territory that lives off viticulture and for which every possible effort must be made”, explains the president.
For weeks, the Consortium, explains a note, “has been closely and anxiously monitoring the situation, dialoguing with numerous institutions and local stakeholders in an effort to help resolve the ongoing crisis, despite not having the authority to intervene directly in the many complex dynamics which the situation generates. We therefore appeal to the institutions to find a way to support the hundreds of families who are part of the social tissue of our territory. We hope that at the very least, compensation for the 2024 downy mildew damage will soon be approved as a concrete sign of support”. The concern, still explains the Consortium, extends to the broader regional system, which risks serious economic harm due to a potential drop in grape prices, as large quantities currently remain unsold. “It is clear that any attempt to profit from this situation would be nothing short of predatory behavior at the expense of already struggling farmers, and would have negative repercussions throughout the supply chain. We therefore hope that grape transactions will occur at fair prices that properly compensate the work of farmers. Given the current situation and the international context, a yield reduction measure would have been highly desirable - still explains Francesca Seralvo - this was a proposal we made as a Consortium back in April, but, unfortunately, it was rejected by some trade associations. We believe that any measure aimed at reducing supply, such as green harvesting, should be pursued where possible. We remain available to all producers, both to report speculative practices and to facilitate connections between supply and demand”.
Looking further ahead, the Consortium emphasized that “beyond the conditions and decisions that led to this bleak scenario and what may happen during this harvest, we must acknowledge a situation, which, as Consortium - still explains the note - we stigmatized since the very beginning. i.e. if Oltrepò Pavese wants to survive and hopefully thrive again, it cannot rely solely on volumes. The shift toward a production policy focused on quality has proven, especially in light of recent events, to be inevitable. The only positive outcome we can hope for from this crisis is that it helps all stakeholders understand the path for the future of our territory.. As a Consortium, we renew our appeal to all relevant institutions to adopt, as quickly as possible, the tools needed to support not only the many winegrowers who are members of Terre d’Oltrepò, but also all producers in a region that is working seriously and concretely towards the relaunch”.