The Italian dairy industry is changing to adapt to the post-pandemic new normal. This is confirmed by a survey made by Ismea on European Commission data. The first two months of 2020 confirmed the positive trend of milk production. In Italy, cow’s milk deliveries were up 4.1% in January and February, compared with almost zero growth (0.1%) in the same period of 2019.
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What has changed is the mix of products, which quickly reacted to the coronavirus emergency? The resulting more complicated conditions for logistics and production are probably the reason behind the big increase in powdered whole milk (+9.5% for the first two months in 2020 compared to +1.1% in 2019), and powdered skimmed milk (+2.6% (compared to +0.7% in 2019). Cheese also performed well, growing by +2.4% over (+0.2% in 2019). Sour milk (-1.3%) and butter (-1.8%), on the other hand, performed poorly. The strategy of Italian dairy producers is focused on high-quality and ‘Made in Italy’ brand, as well as sustainability and naturalness.
ITALIAN DAIRY IS READY TO START AGAIN
“With our short, controlled and certified supply chain, we offer Italian products of the highest quality, processed with modern technologies but always in the respect of the tradition,” says Paolo Carra, President of Consorzio Virgilio, a consortium that is active in the production of butter and fresh creams. “It’s not just about quality, but also sustainability and advantages for the territory and consumers: since 2016 we have been heading up the Life PDO project, a more sustainable model of production for Parmigiano Reggiano PDO and Grana Padano PDO. Animal well-being is fundamental to making our supply chain more ethical and responding to the demands of the consumers” – Carra says.
Several producers in the fresh cheese sector are also taking a new approach towards the supply chain. “During the emergency, due to the shutdown of the Ho.Re.Ca channel in Italy and in European markets, farmers were delivering a surplus of milk,” says Claudia Palazzo, Managing Director of Caseificio Palazzo (active in the production of high-quality cheeses made with selected raw materials). “But we fulfilled our commitment to collecting milk deliveries despite the difficulties. Even the smallest thing makes a difference: putting a burrata or a mozzarella into your shopping cart helps Italian agriculture, and thus our traditions and people”.
Umberto Milano, Communications & Marketing Director for Beppino Occelli agri-food company concludes with optimism: “No-one really knows when the economy will take off again, but you can be sure that it will and we will be ready for it. Reports from the retail sector are telling us that customers are more careful, a habit which started out with the certified origin of the raw materials. We are aiming to fill in the gaps in premium offerings with new categories of cheese, like medium aged. We think companies that are able to innovate, and have the know-how to do things well, will reap the benefits.”
