Tractors in Sicily – the farmers’ protest spreads to Italy

This caused significant traffic problems, Italian media reported. The farmers were protesting against the EU, which “promotes the sale of unhealthy products such as laboratory meat at the expense of Sicilian products.” On the one hand, there would be a lack of concrete measures to support agriculture and livestock farming. On the other hand, the country would be sold ‘to the energy multinationals’, it was said.

Here you can see a video of the protest in Sicily.

“No farmers, no food”
One of the tractors said something like ‘No farmers, no food, no future.’ The demonstrators called on the government under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to better defend the interests of Italian farmers in Brussels. As in Germany, criticisms include the price of agricultural diesel, energy costs and agricultural income.

Demands to the German Minister of Agriculture
Meanwhile, German farmers and other organizations demonstrated in Berlin on Saturday for more sustainable agriculture. There were tractors again. The participants criticized, among other things, the government’s overly cautious approach, for example when it comes to financial resources for the restructuring of livestock farming.

Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) accepted the demands and campaigned for support, for example against cuts in subsidies. “Help me get things passed by a majority,” he shouted. An international agricultural conference met under his chairmanship on Saturday.