Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 ended up being a record year for Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, which saw production rise 4.9% year-on-year.
The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium produced 3.94 million cheese wheels, or about 160,000 tonnes, generating a consumer turnover of €2.35 billion.
Italy, which accounts for 56% of the market, recorded a 7.9% increase in sales volume. Large scale retail is still the main distribution channel (61%) for Parmigiano Reggiano, followed by regular trade (13%), direct sales (12%), and industry (4%).
Export Growth
Exports account for around 44% of sales, registering 10.7% growth in 2020.
The USA is still the leading export market for the cheese, accounting for 20% of total exports, followed by France (19%), Germany (18%), the UK (13%) and Canada (5%).
In Europe, the highest annual growth was seen in the UK (+21.8%), Germany (+14.8%) and France (+4.2%). In North America, the USA (+1.9%) and Canada (+36.8%) also registered a positive performance, while in 'New Markets' the highest sales increase came from Australia (+85.4%), the Gulf Area (+62.3%) and China (+8%).
The past year was also positive in terms of pricing. During the first half of 2020, the average production price of 12-month Parmigiano Reggiano was €7.55/kg, before growing to more than €10/kg at the end of the year.
However, the average annual price (€8.56/kg) was lower than in 2019, the group said.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
