Large companies low price offers forces low wages for labourers
Italy: Farmers join campaigners in call for orange price increase
Campaigners have called on large companies operating in the region to increase the price they pay for Calabrian industrial grade oranges and tighten audits to minimise the risk of inadvertently buying from companies accused of exploitation.
Pietro Molinaro, head of Coldiretti Calabria, the regional branch of Italy's national farming union, claimed that previous attempts to raise the issue of low prices and its link to poor working conditions with large companies had generally not received a response.
Mr Molinaro said: "This area is facing a big problem: the price big companies pay for this juice is not fair. All in all they force the small processing plants in the area – those that squeeze oranges and produce concentrate – to underpay for raw materials."
Producers want processing plants to increase the per kg price of oranges - currently at 5 cents - a price which is so low some farmers have left their crops to rot on the tree.
Mr Molinaro said a "fair price" of 15 cents would transform the prospects of farmers and their employees.
Source: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
