Is it the stitch of the oyster: good luxury good or popular dish? The minister of food sovereignty Francesco Lollobrigida was clear: we must stop considering the shells from which Venus was born (not surprisingly the breeding of the bivalves is called a Friday) as a jewel to be hypertured. He wants to bring VAT to the oysters to ten percent. In short, it is necessary to end it with the commonplace, very profitable for the French, that oysters and champagne are the quintessence of voluptuousness and luxury. It was not for Henri de Toulouse -Lautrec and his Moulin Rouge Danseuses would not have noticed.
On Lollobrigida the irony of the left Gauche Caviar was unleashed – Between oysters and sturgeon eggs there has always been rivalry – which accuses the minister of worrying about making discounts only to those who can pay. The dose of teasing was increased when Lollobrigida – on the initiative of the Ferrara Senator of Fratelli d’Italia Alberto Balboni – organized a tasting of shells raised in the Sacca di Goro in the Senate, therefore in the Delta del Po, in combination with strictly Italian brut rosé to demonstrate that continuing to tax them with 22 percent of VAT means to debase an important resource for Italy. Those who made irony on a very serious problem this time made a mistake and had a short memory. Antonio Misiani Economic Manager of the Democratic Party wrote on X: «Luckily that in these dark times the Minister Lollobrigida reappeared with his (involuntary) humor. Are the people hungry? We lower VAT on the oysters! ». Italia Viva Eco made: “If they no longer have bread that eat oysters!”. A irony that appears out of place and out of time, given that amendments to the various budget laws to lower VAT on the oysters presented them this year the deputy of the Democratic Party Nadia Romeo, in 2017 the entire Dem group in the Budget Commission, in 2023 Raffaella Patia of Italia Viva. The reason is simple: oysters are a potential, strong wealth for the country. Lower the VAT “would cost” maximum two hundred thousand euros against 60 million euros of possible new market. Minister Lollobrigida also highlighted another very important factor: converting part of the busing and clams in oysteries shelves the operators from the flage of the blue crab that does not attack them, while banquet in the farms of mythili. Already in Sardinia there has been a virtuous example of conversion. The mythical mussels of Olbia and Golfo Aranci, a hundred years of breeding history, are threatened by the rise in the water temperature and the proliferation of algae. The fishermen converted the mussels into obstructure and have had a remarkable success. Also because the Italians invented a new breeding technology.
The French to produce their Gillardeau, Bélon, Fines de Claires have exploited the tides that leave the hells to the dry for a few hours: it is essential to make the oysters “gain weight”.
The Italians not having the Atlantic’s water motion simulate it keeping the crossroads dry for a few hours a day. And they obtained superior quality results. There are the pink oysters raised in the Sacca di Goro and those of the Scardovari who are depopulating, there are other “pink” raised in Lake Lesina and Varano (salted lakes) that have given new perspective to the mityl growing of Puglia. And now there is an absolute novelty, which is old, however, of 24 centuries. They are the golden oysters. The Roman emperors raised her and now always in Goro’s bag on the Po in Emilia-Romagna the Sant’Antonio di Gorino Cooperative, after ten years of experimentation, managed to produce the Golden Oysters who have no rivals in the world by exploiting the sweet-salad waters of the delta.
Paolo Tiozzo supports – Vice President of Confcooperative Fedagripesca: groups the major producers – that oystericulture is the future. In the world, 20 percent of shell production is made up of oysters, it is expected that in 2050 at least half of the production will be because the oyster is the most consumed: over six million tons per year according to FAO data. “In Italy” explains Tozzo “today are consumed ten thousand tons of oysters, but 97 percent come from France (over half of the market) from Holland, Spain, Portugal and Ireland”. In Italy, Fedagripesca claims, with seven thousand kilometers of coast and focusing on these specificities, the pink and gold oyster, there is a huge production and commercial space since today it is raised only in Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Tuscany, Liguria and Puglia. Tiozzo confirms: “You can quickly reach 60 million euros in turnover: just a producer every seafaring that allies 50 quintals per year to get to that finish, satisfy the Italian market and aim to export”. The ancient Romans already did, but in VAT exemption.
