Pasta production halted in southern Italy

A majority of Italian pasta production is suspended or about to be, according to reports, as truck drivers' strikes in the south of the country block deliveries to factories. The strikes, which are a protest against the cost of living and the rise in fuel prices, have disrupted the supply of durum wheat and semolina to pasta manufacturers.

Rummo halts production due to shortages

Rummo, a pasta manufacturer located in the Campania region, announced on Tuesday that it would suspend its production due to a shortage of ingredients. Cosimo Rummo, the general director of Rummo, stated that most of the companies in the Puglia region, which together with Sicily and Campania forms the heart of Italian pasta production, are facing similar problems.

Southern location worsens pasta industry crisis

The pasta manufacturers are particularly affected because a large part of the Italian industry is located in the south of the country, where the road blockades are concentrated. Manufacturers depend on regular deliveries of durum wheat and semolina, transported by truck to their factories. After nearly a week of disruptions, some manufacturers have exhausted their raw material reserves.

Industry warns of more production cuts

Rummo in Benevento was forced to stop its production as early as Monday. La Molisana, a producer based in the Molise region, said on Tuesday that it has observed a drop in its production, adding that it has been forced to draw on its reserves of wheat and semolina. Italmopa, the Italian flour industry lobby, warned last week that an increasing number of factories could be forced to suspend their production if the demonstrations continue.

Pasta industry’s economic impact

The Italian pasta industry generated 13.5 billion euros in revenue last year, according to a report published in September by The European House-Ambrosetti (TEHA Group). Unlike Rummo or La Molisana, the giant Barilla has, at this stage, announced no production stoppage related to the transporters' blockages.

Sicilian ports add to supply chain issues

Blocked ports in Sicily have also contributed to the disruptions. After meeting with representatives of the road transport sector, Italian Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Edoardo Rixi announced the unblocking of aid exceeding 150 million euros. At the same time, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is preparing to strengthen the government's security response after the demonstrations against the deterioration of public services and the rise in the cost of living, which were marked by violence this weekend in several transalpine cities.

Strikes cause wider supply chain effects

The truck drivers' demonstrations began last week with the blockage of road axes and ports in Sicily and in the south of the country, causing wider disruptions, including food shortages in supermarkets and fuel shortages at gas stations. Zineb Boutimah, 45, a resident of the city of Locri in the province of Reggio Calabria, said she had to go to a neighboring city and stocked up on flour and the foods they consume the most. Elena Lombardo, 78, another resident of Locri, said she filled up on gasoline on Monday, after an employee of her gas station warned her of a possible upcoming shortage.