Italy moved Thursday to stabilize deliveries after diesel price protests by truckers snarled southern roads and choked off shipments of staples. Giorgia Meloni said the government reached an agreement with trucker associations and that money is already flowing.
"In some areas, a small number of people continue to block roads," she said, noting reports that some drivers threatened colleagues and slashed tires. Her line in the sand: "This is not protest, it is intimidation, and we will not tolerate intimidation."
On the A1 toward Caserta, a center for mozzarella, motorists were stuck near Naples after truckers limited access. Corriere reported that demonstrators intend to focus actions on Naples as well.
According to a manager at pasta producer F. Divella SpA, supermarkets in Puglia and Calabria saw empty shelves in part due to consumers hoarding after media coverage of potential shortages. He said the company lost three days of production.
Food suppliers warned that additional blockades could halt production, cause economic damage and clear out store shelves. The disruption now affects more than just fresh produce, and stores have been forced to throw out large amounts of perishable items stuck in warehouses.
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Federdistribuzione's president, Carlo Buttarelli, said food retailers face losses in the tens of millions of euros. He added that companies are considering store closures and temporary furloughs, and the sector is still collecting data on the overall hit.
Meloni, in office exactly four years, dedicated millions of euros in new aid to transport and agriculture, called on remaining protesters to let products move, and is preparing for general elections next year. Earlier this week she unveiled steps to prevent additional violence, with worries mounting about another wave of demonstrations slated for the coming weekend.
The government intends to station 500 military personnel in Milan through the end of the year. At the same time, southern unrest coincides with northern demonstrations over assorted grievances, and in recent days this has resulted in looting and rioting in Milan.
Blocked roads mean wasted perishables and missed production days, which show up as margin pressure for grocers and food producers. Tens of millions of euros in retail losses and talk of furloughs flag near term demand and labor volatility, while the planned security deployment and additional aid outline the state's effort to stabilize operations ahead of the weekend protests.
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