Italian farmers head to Rome in tractors to complain of tax, red tape, cheap imports

By Giovanni Legorano

ROME (AA) - Italian farmers headed on convoys of tractors to Rome on Monday in protests over issues ranging from taxes, red tape, and cheap imports, amid growing anger by the sector in some parts of Europe.

A group of farmers carried a cow through the center of the northern city of Milan in a sign of protest, while many others from Tuscany and several other parts of Italy started their march towards the capital. They are expected to reach the outskirts of Rome later in the week.

“We will surround Rome, not only with the tractors and not only for a day,” Danilo Calvani, one of the leaders of the farmers’ protests, told Italian daily La Stampa.

This is set to be the biggest protest Italian farmers have organized in recent weeks, after smaller episodes of turmoil across the country. The farmers said they do not plan to enter the center of the capital with the tractors.

They complain about costly red tape and cheap imports undercutting their production, leaving them with little to no profits, as well as high energy costs and the impact of European Union policies on the environment and climate change,

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said her government has taken measures to support the struggling sector, although she acknowledged more can be done.

“There is always room for improvement. I am always willing to listen to the demands coming from workers who are essential to us,” she said during a visit to Japan on Monday.

​​​​​​​However, she reiterated that her government has maintained fuel subsidies for farmers, while cutting them for others, and that she decided to increase the amount of EU recovery funds for the sector to €8 billion ($8.59 billion), from €5 billion.​​​​​​​