Italian cheese and dairy-product exports rose to a new record of €2.2 billion in 2014, an increase of 4.8 per cent in value on 2013, according to farm research body ISMEA.
In terms of volume, growth was 3.3 per cent, to 331,000 tonnes.
This result was achieved despite the crisis in Ukraine, which has almost halved shipments to Moscow.
Impressive results were obtained in Eastern Europe, particularly Poland, Czech Republic and Romania, with an increase in volume by 18 per cent, 9 per cent, and 22 per cent, respectively. Encouraging results came, albeit at a still small market share, in China (+41 per cent), Korea (+26 per cent) and the UAE (+28 per cent), with positive trends also in France (4.3 per cent), Germany (+6.5 per cent) and the UK (+1.9 per cent).
Among the various segments, ISMEA highlights a positive trend for fresh cheese (+3.1 per cent in volume), certified grana cheese (+3.4 per cent), provolone (+7.2 per cent), gorgonzola (+2.7 per cent) and grated cheese (+9.7 per cent).
In particular, sales of fresh cheeses grew, especially in Germany (+8.2 per cent in volume) and in France (+7.0 per cent), compared with a decline in the UK (-2.5 per cent).
Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano, by contrast, recorded the highest increase in the UK (+9.1 per cent), but grew less in the German and French markets (+3.7 per cent and +2.1 per cent, respectively), with a setback in the US (-5.2 per cent). For its part, gorgonzola was much appreciated in the Netherlands (+13.9 per cent in volume) and the UK (+7.3 per cent).
In Italy, cheese sales were down 5.7 per cent in 2014 (for a total of 659 million kg sold) and in volume by 4.7 per cent, to nearly €7 million, according to Nielsen data.
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic.
