At the 33rd edition of Anuga, the world’s largest exhibition dedicated to food & beverage, held in Cologne from 10th to 14th October 2015, Italy has played an important role in the dairy pavilion with more than 100 Italian companies.
“Italian cheeses are in pole position, says Adriano Hribal, managing director of Assolatte, they are the spearhead of made in Italy food export and continue to gain market share in the traditional markets (such as France, Uk, Switzerland and Germany). But above all – and in complete contrast with our major competitors – they are conquering new countries. The analysis conducted by Assolatte reveals that, between January and June, Italy has increased non Eu export volumes by 1.9% and have now exceed the mark of 41,400 tons.”
In the first half of 2015 the number of blue cheeses that arrived in Hong Kong from Italy equaled that exported to the whole of Africa, in Brazil nearly triple the quantity of grana padano and parmigiano reggiano was sold compared to that in China and in Singapore more soft cheeses arrived than they quantity exported to Canada. The Asian emerging countries, which represent new markets for Italian cheeses, are appreciating above all Cresenza and Robiola and in these countries Italy sells more than in all of North America.
In China, the Italian fresh and soft cheeses (like ricotta and mascarpone) are the most popular: between January and June 2015, 480 tons were imported from Italy, more than 6.5 times that exported during the same period in Canada. The Chinese market is growing fast and is reaching far more established markets for Italian cheeses, like the US. In a few years China has already succeeded in absorbing more than half of the volumes of fresh and soft Italian cheeses exported to the United States.
In Japan fresh cheeses are especially strong (like ricotta and mascarpone): in the first six months of 2015 Italy exported 1126 tonnes or 23% more than that sold in North America, to the country of the Rising Sun . But the Japanese also love the traditional Italian hard cheeses, such as Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano. In Tokyo and the surroundings area, in the first half of the year, we exported 983 tons, or 2.5 times the volume sent to all of Central and South America.
Mexico is proving to be an interesting country for grana padano and parmigiano reggiano: in the first six months of 2015 114 tons were exported, more than double that sold in China and less than that absorbed from the much larger and populous Brazil.
Consumers especially appreciate Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano in Australia: with 1,189 tons imported in the first half of 2015, which exceeded Japanese, Asian and Russian numbers. In total, Australia has absorbed over three times the amount of Italian PDO cheese exported throughout Central and South America. Not to mention provolone, whose quantity exported to Australia is 1.5 times that sold in the United States.
The United States, on a whole, remain unreachable. In six months they have imported 6,099 tons of grana padano and parmigiano reggiano, amounting to almost three times the amount sold in the Asian continent (2,352 tons). The US will also be confirmed the absolute number one regarding pecorino: with a total, in six months, of 5,208 tons, 58% more than in the pecorino sales in total in the European Union. Another record for the US is Italico and Taleggio with 200 tons imported from Italy. 9 times the consumprtion of the entire continent of Asia and 5 times more than Switzerland. The Us is a key export market for Asiago, Caciocavallo, Montasio and Ragusa, which in the States come to sell 204 tonnes, half of what is exported in the European union.