Grana Padano: exports soar, prices improve – Agenfood

(Agen Food) – Montichiari (BS), 18 April. – “In these four years we have continued to grow production, we have performed excellently abroad and in Italy and we have been the most profitable destination in the world for milk from corn silage”. Higher costs, certainly, compared to farms for drinking milk or generic cheeses, but top valorisation, like no other destination. We are therefore ending a four-year period that truly exceeded expectations, with some difficult, courageous, but equally successful choices.”

Renato Zaghini opened theGeneral Assembly of the Protection Consortiumwhich took place at the Montichiari Exhibition Center (BS), with a summary of the presidency which saw him at the helm of the Grana Padano Protection Consortiuma mandate, which began during the lockdown, which by statute cannot be renewed and certainly among the most difficult in the 70 years of the consortium, which includes the producers of the most consumed protected designation of origin cheese in the world.

“In 2023 we have laid solid foundations, so that in 2024 foreign volumes will exceed Italian ones – underlined the outgoing president – ​​given that foreign consumption turnover has already exceeded the Italian one: almost one billion and 950 million euros against the billion and 650 million euros in Italy. This year, therefore, global consumers spent almost 3.7 billion euros to purchase Grana Padano, a staggering figure, with a +16% compared to 2022″.

PRODUCTION

From 1998, the year of activation of the PDO Grana Padano, to 2023, the increase in production was 66.87%, 46.11% in the last 20 years and +4.84% compared to 2022.

Distributed on a territorial basis and including all production structures, the province of Mantua with 27 dairies is the most productive area with 1,656,325 wheels equal to 30.36% of production (29.8% in 2022). Followed by Brescia, with 1,255,020 wheels processed in 29 companies, and Cremona, with 946,156 wheels produced by its 9 dairies, which therefore have the highest production average in the consortium with more than 105 thousand wheels processed.

PRODUCTION BY PROVINCE AND REGION

SALES OF GRANA PADANO DOP ITALY (Retail)

In the year 2023 the category “Typical Italian hard cheeses” developed a positive volume trend in Italy equal to +4.8% compared to 2022. With a share of 45.2% in volume, Grana Padano confirms itself as the leader of the category together with Trentingrana, showing a stable performance in volume (+0.4%) compared to a growth in value of +8.8% linked to the continuation of the inflationary phase during the year. If we then exclude the Trentingrana which is in sharp decline with volumes at -9.6%, the performance of the Grana Padano is even better, with a +0.7% in volume.

The average price of Grana Padano DOP also recorded a growth of +8.9%, reaching an average price of €14.68/kg. On an annual basis, the value reached by the entire hard cheese category stood at €15.76/kg, recording a growth of +6.8% compared to 2022, therefore lower than that of Grana Padano DOP and Trentingrana, which rose by 7.7% up to €15.40/kg.

Grana Padano DOP also confirms itself as a leader in all Nielsen geographical areas, albeit with different trends, and with market shares in the sector between 43.7% in the North East and 46.8% in the South and Islands.

Similar trends for sales in the various distribution channels. Grana Padano and Trentingrana hold the highest market share among typical hard cheeses, between 41.5% of discounters and 46.7% of supermarkets.

Three types of Grana Padano and Trentingrana volumes up by +6.0% among the shapes, which are worth 56% of the market, improvement of 0.7% among the pre-packaged pieces with imposed weight of 1.6% in the grated ones and 1% on the flake segment. Only morsels decreased, by 0.3% on an overall decrease in hard foods of 2.3%.

EXPORT

Elaborating the data published by ISTAT on cheese exports, it emerges that in 2023 exports of Grana Padano DOP will reach a total of 2,482,891 wheels, up by 6.55%. “This means that in 2023 48.4% of the marked production was destined for foreign markets – comments the General Director of the Protection Consortium, Stefano Berni – Furthermore, considering an increase in the retail prices of Grana Padano higher than the trend of Inflation, the increase in global spending on Grana Padano is close to 15%”.

A result that goes against the trend, therefore, with that of other food sectors which have seen volumes grow only in the face of growth in consumer prices below the inflation trend, at lower values. “This extraordinary goal achieved by Grana Padano represents an encouraging signal for the future – underlines Berni -, because it denotes constant appreciation from consumers all over the world and an excellent quality-price ratio for our cheese”.

Europe, with 2,060,484 wheels, absorbs 83% of Grana Padano DOP exports, with an increase of 6.9% compared to 2022. And Germany, with a growth of 5.53%, continues to consolidate plus the record of main recipient for exports of Grana Padano DOP, for a total of 599,448 wheels.

Overall, even the non-EU28 markets, after the expansion recorded in 2022, consolidated an increase of 5.14%, for a total volume of 607,530 wheels. “It is also the effect of the good performance of the US market, traditionally one of the main outlet markets for Grana Padano – comments the General Director -, which made possible, despite the weakness of the Canadian market, such a significant result for the exports of Grana Padano to non-EU countries”.

“To continue this trend we know that the space for growth is exports without losing sight of Italy which still consumes over 2.5 million wheels – commented President Zaghini -. We also know that we must accommodate consumer trends and orientations with process sustainability, animal welfare and product healthiness.”

Zaghini recalled how the livestock sector is the target of those who, in the name of questionable environmentalism, exploit and fuel “this animalistic/environmental trend to replace our livestock feed, meat, milk, cheese with synthetic bioreactor food”.

“It will be up to the new course that will emerge from today’s votes to continue with energy and determination the path that is proving us right – concluded Zaghini -. And it will be done with the new Production Plan and with the new Strategic Plan to be launched, as the first act of the new Governance, next November”.

Among those present, Giovanni Guarneri, president of the Copa-Cogeca Milk Group, brought the greeting shared with Assolatte, expressing a very positive evaluation of the activity carried out by the Consortium in the four-year period under the guidance of the Board of Directors.

Praise also came from the Lombard president of Coldiretti, Gianfranco Comincioli, who underlined the importance of the performance of Grana Padano in maintaining the balance of the price of farm-gate milk and the processed product, the result of a common commitment of farmers and processors. Massimo Minelli, regional president of Confcooperative, expressed pride in the results of Grana Padano DOP in the world, underlining the need for awareness of this strength, the harmony between cooperation and industry and the responsibility to maintain a virtuous system to remain high .

Presenting NOMISMA’s annual report on the 2020-2023 production plan approved by 99.74 percent of the assembly, Ersilia DI Tullio then underlined the role of the document which allowed development abroad and did not have negative consequences on the domestic market some milk.

Finally, the greeting from the deputy vice president Giuseppe Ambrosi, who did not stand for re-election, was welcomed with applause, recalling the 30 years spent in the Consortium and thanking the consortium members and all his collaborators.

The Assembly therefore unanimously approved the Board of Directors’ report and the final budget with 100% of the votes of those entitled to vote.

the consortium members proceeded with the elections of the 27 members of the new Board of Directors, which at its first meeting will elect the president and ten members of the management committee, in office until spring 2028. The five members of the board of auditors also voted.

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