ROME, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The agriculture sector is one of the parts of Italy's economy allowed to operate at full force even during the national coronavirus lockdown. But it is still suffering to stay afloat under the weight of the global pandemic, said experts.
Amid Italy's nationwide lockdown, companies and industries deemed "vital" are allowed to keep operating provided they follow certain guidelines, such as the use of protective gear and the proper distancing between workers. That allows the country's farmers, ranchers, fishermen, vintners, cheesemakers, distributors and other parts of the country's food chain to stay on the job.
"We're all allowed to keep working, but that on its own doesn't mean things are fine," Ettore Prandini, president of Italy's main agriculture association Coldiretti, told Xinhua. "We can make the food, but that doesn't mean it's easy for people to buy it."
Supermarkets remain open under the terms of the lockdown, but restaurants, bars and cafeterias are not. Exports have also suffered as transport systems are cut back and Italy's main trading partners are suffering in the same ways economically that Italy is suffering.
"The food sectors that make things that can be eaten weeks, months, or years from now have a problem with finding ways to store their products," Prandini said. "But that's a small problem compared to those who make food with short shelf-lives, like mozzarella cheese, or non-food agricultural products like cut flowers. Those companies do 70 percent of their annual business in March and April."
Prandini said it was too early to have specific models for the economic impacts of the crisis on the agriculture sector, but he estimated that it could diminish revenues for the 523-billion-euro (575-billion-U.S.-dollars) agricultural sector by as much as 60 percent this year.
"These impacts are evolving from week to week, but one thing is clear: it's not going to be any easier for us than it will be for any other part of the economy," Prandini said.
According to Franco Verrascina, president of Copagri, a federation of agricultural producers, even agricultural production is suffering, despite rules that allow workers to take their posts.
"There are many producers who say workers don't want to do their jobs, they prefer to stay at home out of fear of being infected," Verrascina said in an interview. "There's no doubt that this will be a lost year for most parts of the economy, including agriculture. The year is just starting, but all we can do is try to limit the damage and look forward to a better year in 2021."
As for the future, Pradini said, "We have a tremendous productive capacity. It's demand that is low. Once demand starts again the producers will have no problem filling orders."
