Ismea data

Agribusiness, new record for exports: 73 billion in 2025

Ismea estimates on the data for the first 11 months which recorded +5% on an annual basis, In the third quarter agricultural added value at +0.6% and industry production at +4.5%. Coffee, bakery and confectionery, cheese, hams and fresh fruit are among the leading products

by Emiliano Sgambato

22 January 2026

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Tariffs and international turbulence are not slowing down Italian food exports, or perhaps they are slowing them down (obviously there is no counter-evidence) but without preventing them from reaching a new record. And even the domestic crisis seems to be less worrying, with consumption that all in all is giving positive signals (even if the inflation front does not seem to be exactly serene).

This is the picture drawn byIsmea Agrimercati, which in its latest report, just published, points out that "in the first eleven months of 2025, Italian agri-food exports increased by 5% on a trend basis, touching EUR 67 billion. In the same period, overall national exports grew by 3.1%. The leading products include coffee, bakery and pastry products, cheese, hams and fresh fruit". The flow trend thus allows us to predict "a closing of the year that could settle around EUR 73 billion, marking a new record", compared to over 70 in 2024.

This, they emphasise from the Institute of Services for the Agricultural Market, thanks to 'the capacity of companies and the variety of production' and the support of 'unprecedented public interventions' with the current government that 'has made over 15 billion euro of investment available for the primary sector, mobilising national and European resources'.

In the third quarter, against a general GDP growth of 0.1% over the previous quarter and 0.6% year-on-year, theagricultural value added is up 0.8%, over the previous quarter and 0.6% over the same quarter in 2024. Agricultural employment is up +1% on Q2 2025 and +1.5% on Q3 2024.

"A contribution to this dynamic came from wine," writes Ismea, "whose production in the 2025/2026 campaign is estimated at around 47 million hectolitres (+8%), giving Italy the world record in terms of volume; positive results were also achieved by the harvest of tomato for industry (+11% compared to 2024) and summer fruit (for example, +0.5% production of peaches and nectarines compared to 2024).

In contrast, the industrial production index gained 3% compared to the second quarter of 2025 and 4.5% compared to the same quarter of 2024. Also on the source of food consumption there is a 'recovery in volumes for many products in the shopping cart'. Ismea gives some examples: eggs (+6.7%), bread (+3.1%), fresh vegetables (+2.9%), tomato puree (+2%), fresh cheese (+3.9%), yoghurt (+4.9%), poultry meat (+2%) and sparkling wine (+5.8%).

Ismea then reviews the results of some sectors in the first 9 months of the year.
The production of durum wheat increased by 3.4%, for a total of 3.6 million tons, "thanks to higher yields and more favourable weather, which ensured a good quality profile, with prices at 274.90 euro/ton in December". Tender wheat, on the other hand, fell to 2.5 million tonnes, with prices ending the year at EUR 246.79/tonne. Italian maize did well with 541 thousand hectares (+9.2%) with +2.5%, production 5.5 million tons (+11.9%) and price 238.56 euro/ton in September, +6.1% compared to September 2024.

The 2025/2026 wine year closed with 232 million hectolitres (+3%), confirming Italy as the world leader with 47 million hectolitres (+8%); domestic consumption of sparkling wines rose by 5.8% in volume and 5% in value in the first nine months.
An average year for oil, with production up compared to the previous year, especially in the South, and prices dropping to just under 8 euros/kg.
Fruit and vegetables did well, with exports up 3.9% in quantity and 6.3% in value in the first eight months.
On the meat front, beef in the first nine months showed an increase in production of 1.2%, bucking the trend of the EU (-4%), as did poultry with +4.3% and exports +2.3%, boasting a positive trade balance of more than 70 thousand tons.

Also from January to August,exports of cured meats increased by 5.7% in both volume and value. Fordairy products, cow's milk production grew +0.3% and in October. Between January and August, cheese exports rose by 14.9% in value and +5.6% in volume.

Emiliano SgambatoResponsabile Food24
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Luogo: Milano
Lingue parlate: Inglese
Argomenti: Agroalimentare, mercato immobiliare, arredo-design
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