Italian cheese exports reached 330,000 tonnes in 2014 and were worth an estimated €2.5 billion, according data published during the annual assembly of Italian dairy companies (Assolatte).
This figure represents a 3.3 per cent growth in volume and of five per cent in value compared to a year earlier. In practice, almost one third of cheese produced in Italy is sold abroad.
Although foreign demand for Italian cheese continues at a steady pace, according to Assolatte president Adriano Hribal, exports slowed down in 2014 compared to recent years, while domestic consumption is struggling to restart (-12% between 2011 and 2014).
Most foreign sales are to historical markets and neighbours, with France and Germany absorbing 35 per cent of Italy's exports. Also in these two countries the demand for Italian dairy products still shows growth rates: +4.3 per cent in France and +6.5 per cent in Germany.
Product wise, there was a strong growth for Pecorino (+16 per cent), Gorgonzola (+12 per cent), Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano (+10 per cent) and Mmozzarella cheese (+8 per cent).
The diary industry is the most important segment of Italy's food industry, with a turnover of €15 billion and employing more than 100,000 families across the supply chain.
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic
