The Rural District "Riso e Rane" was born in the Province of Milan, in an area whose perimeter runs roughly west along the path of the Ticino River, north along the line that connects the towns of Abbiategrasso and Cusago to the East following the Milan ring road and the motorway Milan - Genoa, south along the provincial border. The district includes the territory of 23 municipalities, namely Abbiategrasso, Albairate, Assago, Besate, Bubbiano, Buccinasco, Calvignasco, Cassinetta di Lugagnano, Cisliano, Cusago, Gaggiano, Gudo Visconti, Morimondo, Motta Visconti, Noviglio, Ozzero, Robecco sul Naviglio, Rosate, Trezzano sul Naviglio, Vermezzo, Vernate, Zelo Surrigone, and Zibido San Giacomo. The establishment of this district arises from the need of some farms that cultivate rice and that for first have had perceived, in relation to what is required and provided by law, the perspective of developing a strategy for coordinated action that can overcome the atavistic individualism characteristic of the agricultural world, and in particular of companies linked to the cultivation of rice, which to date have always restricted or even prohibited the possibility of joint efforts to achieve better market strategies related both to the production phase is the phase marketing of the product.
The Rural District "Riso e Rane" is located in an area of the Province of Milan in which rice cultivation is closely linked to the territory and has absolute economic importance. The total area is reported to be 30,513ha , that are the 19.37 % of the Province of Milan and includes more than 60% of the area cultivated with rice in the Province of Milan. The agricultural sector in the rural district "Riso e Rane" is vital and productive, despite the general crisis prevailing in the industry. The farming structure is rather heterogeneous, with large farms (> 50 ha) in the central area of the District, dominated by the cultivation of rice. In contrast with what was recorded by the agricultural sector in general, the rice farms in this area have increased substantially in the last decade and have more reduced product differentiation than in other rice-growing areas. Despite this, the profit margins have been significantly reduced in relation to a steady increase in production costs (up to 34% compared to 2000) and a steady decline, with the exception of the year 2008, of the average rice price. The impact of this crop on the agricultural economy of the area is essential, as well as on the agricultural landscape that distinguishes it. In developing the project Rural District "Riso e rane" the enormous productive potential, accommodation and recreation in this area was evaluated. Immediately behind the city of Milan, it consists of 80% of its surface by agricultural land, and is partly included in the Lombardian Park of the Ticino Valley and almost completely included in the Sud Milano Agricultural Park. One key aspect that will be addressed during the project will be the comparison between the current state and the prospect of future management coordinated by the district, to highlight through an ex-ante and an ex-post analysis the technical and economic parameters of single farms and of the entire district.
- Principal Investigators: Claudia Maria Balzaretti , Giovanni Ferrazzi , Pietro Marino Gallina , Stefano Bocchi , Luca Bechini
- Lead organization: Dipartimento di Economia, Management e Metodi Quantitativi, Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie per la Salute, la Produzione Animale e la Sicurezza Alimentare (attivo dal 27/04/2012 al 01/01/2022), Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali - Produzione, Territorio, Agroenergia
- Financing institution: REGIONE LOMBARDIA
- Type: RL_DG-AGR - Bandi DG Agricultura
- Coordinatore: DISTRETTO RURALE RISO E RANE
- Start date: 2013
- Duration in months: 24 mesi
- Status: Closed