Pecorino Romano at Cibus in Parma with the Protection Consortium and associated producers: thousands of dishes cooked and served on the stand. Discovering new markets with international projects and investments to grow the sector
Pecorino Romano at Cibus in Parma
Macomer, 13 May 2024 – Over two thousand dishes served by chef Matteo Barbarossa directly on the Consortium stand to the thousands of visitors who took turns during the four days of the fair, over 100 pinsas baked and served while still hot, 100 kilos of grated product used and over 60 kilos of product tasted in purity, with a dollop of jam or honey. The common thread and great protagonist is Pecorino Romano DOP which, between cacio e pepe and carbonara, between risottos and pizzas, between couscous and Venere rice, was once again among the most appreciated and sought after products at Cibus in Parma.
Many producers associated with the Protection Consortium were present at the agri-food fair, symbol of Made in Italy in the world, with their own stand or in the unmistakable stand of the Consortium, all with the same objective: to promote Pecorino Romano with consumers, buyers and importers , to consolidate its positioning in countries where it has already been a cornerstone of food for some time and conquer new spaces in a market that still has boundless potential.
The numbers of Pecorino Romano DOP
2023 was a very favorable year for the PR, production amounted to 360 thousand quintals, with an increase of 12.2% compared to 2022, but the most important data was that relating to the price as during the year, the never-reached wholesale selling price of 14.05 euros was reached, with an increase in the average annual price compared to 2022 of 16.5%. Since the second half of 2023, the price of cheese has undergone a decrease which has stabilized in the last six months around the value of 12.30 euros, a normal and physiological drop after the previous peaks and which marks stabilization on the market. A stable situation is confirmed for the first quarter of 2024. In the first quarter of 2024, sales grew in quantity by approximately 7%.
Pecorino Romano has 12 thousand producing companies and 25 thousand employees and generates an annual value of around 300 million euros.
Gianni Maoddi, president of the Pecorino Romano Consortium
“Here at Cibus we begin the journey of the new three-year period of the Italy-Germany project, two countries where the project is co-financed by the European Union with the aim of continuing to grow on those markets. Pecorino Romano is experiencing an excellent moment of stability, it is producing excellent numbers, and this guarantees positive effects on the entire supply chain”, says the president of the Consortium, Gianni Maoddi.
“With the new projects for 2024 we are implementing important promotional and communication activities, in addition to the one already mentioned we are on the United States market, where there is still a lot of room for growth, in Japan, in the United Kingdom and in Switzerland, and an intervention on the Canadian market is being planned. In short, we don’t stop: Pecorino Romano, with its history and its unmistakable flavour, allows us to get everywhere.”
Pecorino Romano export data
Approximately 70% of Pecorino Romano production is sold outside national borders. The first outlet market is represented by the USA with approximately 40%, followed by the European Union market with 17%, Canada and Japan with almost 5% and the rest of the world for the remaining share. Certainly “made in Italy” is increasingly appreciated abroad and this is demonstrated by the infinite attempts at imitation.
Riccardo Pastore, general director of the Pecorino Romano Consortium
“This year at Cibus we had an incredible influx of visitors, especially from operators in the food sector and large-scale retail buyers, with an important presence of our members,” says the general director of the Consortium Riccardo Pastore. “We are naturally looking at new markets and at the moment the Asian ones are certainly very interesting; we are collaborating with other consortia to enhance each other’s products, for example we are very interested in pairing them with wines, and we are also evaluating a project that concerns the proposal of Pecorino Romano within Cocktail Parties. And then – concludes Pastore – there is the pinsa project, which we launched in Los Angeles, improved further on this occasion and which we will also bring to New York, yet another demonstration of the versatility of Pecorino Romano”.
Cibus, which has always been the point of reference for Made in Italy agri-food, has exceeded all expectations in its 22nd edition. With over 3,000 brands present and 60 thousand visitors from all over the world, the fair reached a full house for the exhibition part, and welcomed more than 1,000 international buyers from the main markets of interest. With an exhibition area of 120 thousand square meters, Cibus offers a complete overview of the Italian food sector, presenting the best of the main sectors of Made in Italy agri-food.
