Battle of the wheat, the pasta makers respond
Too many imports and little support for national productions. On the core topic of Battle of the wheat, the pasta makers they do not give up. According to Aidepi, Association of the Italian Sweet and Pasta Industries, imports are untouchable: “Our role as world leaders in the pasta market has always placed us among the countries with the greatest need for hard wheat. If pasta were made only from domestic wheat, Italians would have to give up three pasta dishes out of ten and we would lose the world leadership in pasta production and export, with enormous damage to the sector and other sectors driven by pasta exports, such as oil,cheese and tomato.
Representatives of the pasta industry respond to the Wheat Battle by claiming that national production is insufficient and unsuitable, and that the price factor is not the discriminating reason. “The finest foreign durum wheats, which cover on average 30-40% of needs, can cost up to 10%-15% more than domestic ones, because only the best wheats available on the market allow us to create the right "blend", which is the secret of our pasta", they claim.
Instead, pasta makers who use exclusively Italian durum wheat are supporting the Battle of Wheat, meeting the preference of Italian consumers, who are increasingly aware of the importance of consuming when produced within the country.
