Bresaola della Valtellina Igp, consumption on the upswing but a complicated 2025 ahead

Production and consumption of Bresaola della Valtellina Igp are increasing, which, after some market difficulties faced in past years, mainly linked to inflation that has disadvantaged the most prized and expensive cured meats with respect to other types, is once again registering a plus sign. However, the year 2025 does not look rosy, especially due to the scarcity of raw materials with consequent cost increases.

According to the 2024 figures just released by the Protection Consortium,production exceeded 12,600 tonnes (+6.5% over 2023) and the consumer value rose by a similar amount to 480 million euro. The export of the 14 companies certified by the Csqa Control Body is also growing, representing 5% of production, with a value of 14 million euro (+4.6%), equal to 632 tonnes of Bresaola sold across borders, "in EU countries (72% of the total, up +3.2% compared to 2023) and non-EU countries (28% of the total, up +8.5% compared to 2023), where several Middle Eastern countries stand out, especially countries of the Islamic religion," the Consortium commented.

Although current figures show a clear recovery in the sector,concerns among producers remain high due to a decrease in raw material of European origin. "This decline," explain the Consortium, "has had a significant impact on the supply of the sector: while in 2023 the share of beef from EU countries had reached 30%, by 2024 it had fallen to 22% and this negative trend is expected to continue in 2025. The increasing difficulty in finding this product within the EU is therefore forcing producers to rely increasingly on non-European imports, which are subject to heavy tariff barriers. In fact, the Gatt (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) licences, which allow the import of meat at a preferential duty of 20%, are tied to fixed and unchangeable volumes. Due to the current shortage of raw material, these licences are no longer used exclusively for the import of valuable cuts - such as rump steak for the production of bresaola - but also for a wider range of parts intended, for example, for the production of hamburgers'.

Consequently, recourse to the extra-Gatt scheme is now almost inevitable, 'with a significant economic impact, since in this case the overall increase in the cost of the raw material can reach 50% compared to its initial price'. An economic burden - underlined by Sondrio - 'that seriously jeopardises a crucial sector for the Valtellina economy. It is therefore essential to adopt targeted measures to guarantee the supply of the more than 34,000 tonnes of rump beef needed to support the district's production.

"The positive data are encouraging and confirm the ever-increasing interest in a product of excellence, characterised by a high standard of quality and important nutritional values that is above all a symbol of history and tradition,' comments Mario Francesco Moro, President of the Consortium for the Protection of Bresaola della Valtellina. 'However, the data linked to the constant increase in the price of raw materials, the cost of which continues to rise also due to the effect of the tariff barriers at entry, cannot but lead us to a common reflection on the risks to which the sector is exposed. Despite the efforts made over the past few years,the overall increase in production costs can no longer be metabolized by producers alone. As a consortium we are taking action to try to stem this imbalance. In fact, this situation is causing major problems for the sector, squeezing the turnover and margins of certified companies, which are unable to plan for the future.