It happened this morning in Sicily, in the Port of Pozzallo. Once the loaded ship arrived, 5 thousand tons of wheat were rejected. First the checks of the technicians, then the rejected. The conditions of the seed did not like, the ship comes back. But what happened exactly?
This morning arrived in the Port of Pozzallo, Sicily, a ship loaded with 5 thousand tons of durum wheat, coming from Kazakhstan. The Regional Councilor for Agriculture, Edy Bandiera, ordered the immediate checks.
The men of the Carabinieri Forestali, the Sanità Marittima and the phytosanitary inspectors came to the scene. When the technicians arrived at the site, they immediately carried out analyzes on the seed. Once, however, made all the appropriate checks have declared the inadequacy. "The condition of the grain contained in the ship's hold does not comply with Italian quality and safety standards, for this reason it can not be discharged".
The goods, in fact, turned out not suitable for human food, because of showy and extensive patches of mold and wet.
With this intervention, Sicily has raised its voice! It would almost say "Finally!". The Regional Councilor for Agriculture, Edy Bandiera, did not want to discount and wanted to protect our national heritage of durum wheat.
It is not the first time, however, that wheat from abroad is rejected after technical checks. One of the first to carry out checks on the spot was the past general manager of the Department of Agriculture, Cosimo Gioia. After the checks, however, Gioia lost the job.
The soldiers of the Forestry have taken samples already sent to the Istituto Zooprofilattico of Palermo, for more detailed analyzes. Meanwhile, the ship from Kazakhstan returns home.
The statement by the President of the Sicily Region, Nello Musumeci: "Zero tolerance with those who think to continue to introduce goods in Sicily that are not in compliance with health standards, especially if they are products intended for food. With the Councilor of the Flag we have intensified the controls and I thank the regional forest guards and the phytosanitary inspectors for their hard work ".
