Veneto Region tobacco agreement cited as model for other sectors

Dario Bond, the Agriculture Councilor for the Veneto Region, has described the tobacco supply chain agreement as a model that should be replicated in other sectors. The agreement, which celebrates 15 years of cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture, Coldiretti, and Philip Morris Italia, provides farmers with long-term security regarding product purchases and income generation.

Valid from 2024 through 2038, the agreement offers agricultural businesses certainty in tobacco leaf procurement alongside technical assistance in areas such as fertilization, water management, and harvesting. In the Veneto region, the agreement covers more than 60% of regional tobacco production, generating approximately 55.8 million euros in added value annually and supporting an estimated 9,100 jobs.

Future regional rural development will focus on technological innovation, specifically targeting sustainable cultivation systems and the rationalization of water usage. Bond noted that mechanized harvesting technology is expected to see significant development over the next decade.