Agriform is the most important reality of Veneto in the field of Grana Padano and other regional PDO cheeses (Asiago, Piave, Montasio, Monte Veronese). Founded in 1980 in the heart of the Po Valley, to manage the production, the aging and the marketing of the products of social cheese factories, the cooperative has now a turnover of about 152 million euros, out of which about 78 million (51.5%) come from foreign markets. The main destination countries are: the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Spain, Sweden and Australia. Agriform counts 11 cooperatives as members, among which the most important are Lattebusche (with 4 cheese factories) and Latterie Vicentine (with 2 cheese factories). In addition to its own production and those of its members, Agriform buys from third parties and sells Grana Padano, Parmigiano Reggiano and other typical cheeses. Thanks to the acquisition of two new cheese factories and a packaging center, in recent years the cooperative has made Grana Padano its core business: about 60% of its turnover, with a sales volume of 11,500 t., equal to over 300,000 wheels. The company headquarters in Sommacampagna (Verona) is the logistics center for the goods and has: two Grana Padano aging warehouses; a packaging center for vacuum-sealed and protective atmosphere portions with 10 production lines; a modern packaging department for fresh grated, flakes and cubes with 5 lines, for a potential production capacity of over 8,000 t. per year. And, since 2016, Agriform has a production site in Busseto, near Parma, with a cheese factory for the production of Parmigiano Reggiano and a dedicated packaging center with 5 lines for the production of portions and grated. At the core of Agriform’s commitment there is the attention to the quality of the products and the services offered to its customers. Because of this, as early as April 1998, the company got the UNI EN ISO 9001:2000 certification (CSQA certificate n. 033) and, since 2008, the food safety certifications according to the European BRC and IFS standards (A & High Level grade).
Agriform Organic Grana Padano range
In addition to the genuineness of the products on their table, consumers are increasingly paying attention to sustainability. This is why Agriform enters the organic Grana Padano market by launching a line of organic products that includes: grated Grana Padano, in a 50 g pack in a protective atmosphere; Grana Padano in vacuum-sealed and thermoformed packs of respectively 2 kg and 150 g. All the references, previewed at Cibus 2018 and for sale starting in May, are produced with organic milk, salt and rennet. The organic logo guarantees that the cheese is produced according to the rules that respect the environment and the animal welfare, under the supervision of a certifying body. The cheese is produced with organic milk in which products that have undergone chemical treatments, derived from genetically modified organisms or enriched with synthetic supplements, drugs and other non-natural substances cannot be used. The result is a better health conditions and overall welfare of the animals and, therefore, of the quality of the milk as well.
