After five days of lorry blockades, supermarket shelves across southern Italy are empty. The shortages affect not only fresh produce but now also milk, tinned goods and mineral water. Confcommercio Sicilia estimates the damage at up to 50 million euros. This Tuesday, a meeting is taking place in Milan between the transport associations and Infrastructure and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, on whose outcome the continuation of the blockades depends.
From Palermo to Molise, deliveries are failing to arrive
The situation extends across the whole of the south. Delegates from the consumer association Consumerismo No Profit documented, between Friday and Saturday, nine retail outlets with empty or half-empty shelves. In Sicilia this affects Palermo, Catania, Trapani, Messina, Agrigento and the Ragusa area. In Calabria , Scalea is affected, and in Puglia Cerignola, Foggia and San Severo. In Campania, Mercogliano, Naples, Caserta and Salerno are affected.
Also included are Sora, Cassino and Fabrica di Roma in Lazio, as well as Campobasso in Molise. According to reports, supermarkets in the province of Foggia are now also running short of flour, eggs, poultry and bread. In Sicily, a report from Palermo indicates that oranges are no longer available, with customers noting that shelves had already been empty on Sunday. Panic buying has not been reported so far; the gaps are the result of delayed deliveries.
Confcommercio estimates losses at between 40 and 50 million euros
For the five days of protest so far, Confcommercio Sicilia, under president Gianluca Manenti, puts the total losses for wholesale and fresh produce supply chains at 40 to 50 million euros. According to a breakdown of the figures, 20 to 25 million relates to lost sales in the fruit and vegetable, butchery and dairy departments, 12 to 15 million to logistical costs arising from operational stoppages and delivery delays, and 8 to 10 million to goods that could spoil as a result of those delays. Manenti describes the situation as extremely alarming.
Confesercenti Campania, under president Vincenzo Schiavo, reports that stocks at some supermarket chains have already fallen to 50 per cent of normal levels. Coldiretti Puglia reports cold stores full of perishable goods that are not being collected. Pasta manufacturer La Molisana has temporarily halted its production in Campobasso because raw materials are not arriving and finished goods cannot be dispatched. Schiavo also warns that pharmacies could face supply problems in the coming days.
Lorry blockades against diesel prices
The backdrop to the crisis is the lorry drivers' protest that has been under way since 16 October in Calabria, Apulia, Campania, Basilicata and Sicily against high diesel prices. The average price of diesel stands at around €2.30 per litre, according to the Ministry for Business and Made in Italy , while the consumer association Codacons reports a rise of almost 40 per cent compared with 2025. According to current counts, there are 25 blockade points at motorway junctions and main roads across central and southern Italy.
Transport Minister Matteo Salvini has moved the meeting with the associations, originally scheduled for 27 October, to this Tuesday at 3 p.m. at the Prefecture of Milan brought forward. Also at the table are the autonomous associations from Calabria, Sicily and Apulia, as well as Deputy Minister Edoardo Rixi. The end of the lorry drivers' strike is scheduled for midnight. Whether the transport sector returns to normal operations on Wednesday or whether the dispute enters a third week depends on the outcome of the meeting.
