Parma Ham ended 2013 with a total turnover of 1.5 billion euro and a production of about 9 million, a quantity level that has remained stable for a few years now. Although Italy proved to be the leading outlet market for Parma Ham with 72% of production absorbed, in 2013 the entire cured ham sector saw a downturn in consumption that involved both the protected and non-protected products, even though there were no particular changes in market shares and consumer prices. Italy is experiencing a business climate that is still worrying from numerous aspects and this has also had an impact on the sales of our product. Certainly, an improvement in the supply of credit to companies, together with recovery of confidence by entrepreneurs and consumers are a necessary requirement for a return to growth. The criticalities of the domestic market have fortunately been counterbalanced by the excellent performance of international markets that are a veritable breath of oxygen for the agri-food sector and Parma Ham in particular. Abroad, we can also count on the attractive power of our protected product that exerts a great deal of consumer interest because it is synonymous with quality, genuineness and tradition. In 2013, a total of 2,500,000 hams with the crown were exported, for a 2% increase and a production turnover of 237 million euro.
This was the fourth consecutive positive year for Parma Ham exports that continue in the growth process that, over the long term, is giving really important results. Indeed, over the last decade, Parma Ham exports have grown by as many as 900,000 pieces. The greatest contribution to growth was given by the European market (+3%), while the non-European area is stable (-0.4%). Despite the difficulties, the Usa proved to be the leading export market of Parma Ham with about 500,000 hams exported, followed by Germany (450,000) and France (420,000) that showed a moderate increase, while there was a drop in the United Kingdom, Belgium and Japan; then we must mention the umpteenth achievement of Australia that now with 80,000 pieces is the third non-European market. As regards the Brics countries, the only one that has given important signs is Russia that, with a 51% increase, was the best performance of 2013.