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CEREALS OCRIM demonstrated its expertise in the monitoring of cereals from cultivation right through to processing at its conference in Massa Marittima, Italy

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by Eloisa Martino, OCRIM

t the prestigious estate ‘Il Cicalino’ in Massa Marittima, Italy, the conference “Cereali: una risorsa da gestire” (Cereals: a resource to be managed) was held and organized in June this year by OCRIM S.p.A., offering the knowledge and skills of its experts. It was held in collaboration with Bonifiche Ferraresi S.p.A., a leading agricultural and agri-food company, with the support of Confederazione Nazionale Coltivatori Diretti (National Confederation of Active Farmers). The mayor of Massa Marittima welcomed the large audience to what was an important day for those who focus their production business on cereals, but also for those who simply see cereals as a raw material that is precious and essential for nutrition. Managing Director of Bonifiche Ferraresi, Federico Vecchioni then gave a speech focusing on the concept of “Italianness”, ensured by a product that is the result of an industry formed by Italian companies, which guarantee and certify the Italian identity of products. He also made reference to the synergy created between Bonifiche Ferraresi and OCRIM, “The two companies got together to establish a production chain that starts from the cultivation, monitoring and respect of raw materials (Bonifiche Ferraresi) through to processing using cutting-edge machines manufactured in Italy (OCRIM S.p.A.). A 100 percent Italian product from its conception to final processing.” OCRIM’s Managing Director, Alberto Antolini, greeted guests and spoke about the fair and transparent work carried out by the Cremona-based company. He commented on how the company

64 | November 2016 - Milling and Grain

has continued to grow since it has found the right direction and way of investing in research, expertise and the desire to make production become an increasingly integral part of the company; thus fully ensuring the product is not only Italian Made, but also entirely “OCRIM Made.” The general secretary of Coldiretti, Vincenzo Gesmundo greeted the audience with a spontaneous and heartfelt speech, speaking of the importance of an approach to work focused on constant improvement. He highlighted the role and responsibility of a “true” production chain, which can be defined as such only if the traceability of final products can be certified. Finally, the secretary of Coldiretti spoke of the “distinctiveness” of Italian culture, through a final product that is considered to be an emblem of high quality, which also expresses respect for the free will of consumers. In fact, the latter are considered the actual legitimate and impartial supporters of this chain, since they are the ones in charge of evaluating true Italian quality. The convention continued with a speech by OCRIM’s Commercial Director, Stefano Mazzini, who introduced and talked about the company he works for. For over 70 years, OCRIM has been building milling plants for cereal processing, founding its activities and productivity exclusively on the concept of “Italianness”. Stefano then introduced the experts, who came with him from Cremona, to speak about quality but also about the issues related to the cereal sector and the measures, both upstream and downstream, to be taken to obtain a wholesome and properly processed product. The first speech, made by Simona Digiuni, an agricultural biotechnologist with international experience in the field of plant research, mainly spoke about the management of cereal