Exports of Italian prosecco to the UK has fallen by 7%, the first time the rate of growth has been in the negatives.
As reported by Coldiretti, the Italian-based group of agricultural entrepreneurs, after more than a decade of interrupted growth, the early effects of Brexit are beginning to show.
According to Coldiretti, one in four bottles of prosecco uncorked about is done so in the UK, making it the largest consumer base for the Italian bubbly.
Popping The Bubbly
‘The situation on the English market,’ Coldiretti said in a statement, ‘does not detract from the optimism of the prosecco producers whose harvest has just begun about ten days in advance, with a yield forecast per hectare some percentage points higher than 2017’.
Foreign sales of the Italian sparkling wine overall increased by 5% over the previous year, mainly due to positive trends in the United States and Germany.
The recent harvest promises good quality, the group reports, with an increase in production of 10% to 20% compared to last year, making Italy one of the world’s top producer of bubbles with a quantity of nearly 700 million bottles.
Coldiretti highlighted that with the introduction of traffic light nutrition label that ‘unjustly’ rejects up to 85% of Italian goods.
The group said that the labels are confusing and misleading consumers, as they are based on the generic presence of a certain type of substances rather than the quantities actually consumed.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Aidan O'Sullivan. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
