Italy Approves Emergency Fuel Aid for Farms, Fishing Fleets and Truckers

Italy’s Council of Ministers approved a decree-law on Thursday with emergency support for road haulage, agriculture and fishing, opening a new aid package meant to offset fuel costs and ease pressure on supply chains strained by transport disruptions and high input prices.

According to a draft of the measure reported by Agra Press, the agriculture sector will receive €60 million in non-repayable grants. The aid will be calculated on 20% of fuel purchased between June 1 and October 15, 2026. The draft says AGEA, the Italian farm payments agency, must set the rules for submitting proof of fuel purchases within five days after the decree takes effect. Once a request is received, AGEA would have 30 days to transfer the money to the beneficiary’s bank account.

For fishing, the draft sets aside €10 million. The grant would be calculated on 10% of fuel bought in the same period. The payments would be handled, using the same timetable as agriculture, by the Directorate General for Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture at the Agriculture Ministry.

Farm and fishing groups broadly welcomed the measure, while saying it addresses only part of the problem. Several organizations described the farm support as covering part of the extra diesel bill, in some cases up to €0.45 a liter, although the final published text will determine the exact operational terms. The government moved after weeks of complaints from producers about a sharp rise in fuel and other production costs linked to international tensions, and amid protests that have disrupted freight movements in parts of the country.

The package also includes measures for trucking, though some of the details came through industry groups before full publication of the decree. Legacoop Agroalimentare and Legacoop Produzione e Servizi said the measure provides another €66.4 million to fully cover diesel tax-credit claims already filed by transport companies for the March-August 2026 period. The same groups said it also allocates €60 million for the September-October 2026 period, with applications expected to open in early November and the credit usable in 2027. They said the decree also lets companies suspend lease payments falling due between November 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027, and strengthens the fuel surcharge clause.

The government’s action comes as business groups continue to warn about freight blockades and missed collections of goods, especially in southern Italy. Confagricoltura said it still sees cause for concern in Campania, where haulage stoppages were continuing. Copagri said members, particularly in Puglia and Campania, had reported serious problems with goods not being picked up, including fresh and perishable products. The group said that has increased waste and added to pressure on farm businesses already dealing with high diesel, energy and fertilizer costs.

Several associations said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had signaled action by the Interior Ministry to restore the free movement of goods. Confagricoltura said it welcomed government efforts to reactivate freight circulation and avoid food speculation. Copagri said it had asked for “protected logistics corridors” for fresh products and animal feed, arguing that blockades were creating immediate damage across the food chain.

Coldiretti called the €60 million for agricultural diesel an important response to repeated requests from farmers and said the simplified payment process should speed up liquidity for businesses. CIA-Agricoltori Italiani said the grants would give “breathing space” to a sector facing a severe cash crisis, but called the measure only a first step and asked for structural action that goes beyond emergency aid. Terra Viva said the value of the package will depend on whether the money reaches companies quickly, with simple procedures and clear criteria, and urged the government to use data already held in farm files to reduce paperwork and ensure that small farms are not shut out.

Confagricoltura said the timing of the intervention was important, but it also called for rapid European action to cap fuel prices across the single market. Copagri said the short-term support was needed, but argued that it should be matched with structural measures, starting with a cut in fuel excise duties. It also warned that part of the financing appears to come at the expense of resources that had been earmarked for a fertilizer tax credit, another area where costs remain high.

Legacoop said the decree appears to address many of the requests raised in recent months by cooperatives in agriculture, fishing, transport and logistics. But it warned that the package must be usable immediately and not delayed by implementing rules or administrative bottlenecks. The group also said ongoing road blockades have already caused heavy losses for affected cooperatives and argued that, after the cabinet decision, there is no justification for further disruption to national transport routes.

The farm diesel measure matters beyond primary agriculture. If payments arrive quickly and freight traffic normalizes, the support could ease some cost pressure on winegrowers and other farm suppliers, while better trucking conditions could help breweries, spirits makers and beverage distributors move goods more reliably. Any effect on the drinks trade, however, will depend on how much of the aid reaches companies in time and whether transport problems on the ground are actually resolved.

That connection is especially relevant in a period when logistics costs have become a wider business issue, not just a farm issue. Producers of wine, beer and spirits depend on the same road networks used to move bottles, cans, ingredients, packaging and finished goods. Delays in the collection of agricultural products or in regional freight traffic can spill over into bottling schedules, warehouse turnover and deliveries to retailers and restaurants.

In fishing, sector representatives said the fuel burden has become especially difficult. Coldiretti Pesca called the €10 million fund an important step for fleets that have been cutting trips because of energy costs. The group said a full tank for a fishing vessel can cost as much as €16,000. It also said the Italian fishing sector has about 12,000 vessels and annual turnover of just under €750 million, with diesel recently at about €1.65 a liter and reaching €1.80 in island areas. The sector, it said, is also under pressure from warming waters, invasive species such as blue crab, and competition from non-EU producers.

Across the industry responses, the main common demand was speed. Associations want AGEA and the fishing administration to open procedures quickly, avoid duplicate documentation and transfer the money without the delays that have slowed earlier programs. They also want the government to move from emergency reimbursements toward longer-term policy on fuel costs, liquidity and access to credit.

Transport groups said they expect the next round of talks with the government on October 27 to focus on medium-term solutions, including mechanisms to prevent further fuel-driven shocks and to verify that the measures approved by the cabinet are implemented in practice.