Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO, 40% of production goes abroad

Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP accounts for about 15% of the total mozzarella produced in Italy for a consumer turnover of 750 million. Not only does it seem to be less affected by the crisis than cow's milk products, but it also has a larger share of business linked to foreign countries, where again France is in the lead with one third of exports. A quarter of the exported value of all types of mozzarella is in fact to be attributed to Bufala Dop, which sends 40% of its production abroad against 35% for cow's milk.

The Consortium has certified the production of 55,588 tons of Mozzarella Dop in 2023, 0.4% less than in 2022 after the strong growth of the last few years. And the first two months of 2024 still show a slight decrease. Export figures for 2023 have not yet been released by the Consortium, but given stable production and an unshaken domestic market, it was most likely a year of consolidation after a real run: almost 20% more in 2022 alone.

"It is not easy to make forecasts at a time like this," says Consortium President Domenico Raimondo, "certainly there are still margins for growth, but we have to bear in mind that we are dealing with very positive years. 40% of business abroad comes from out-of-home consumption, which is very much linked to seasonal factors, especially in France. This spring is not helping, but the European markets are holding up. There is more uncertainty regarding the US and the November elections that could be followed by tariffs, although in the past we have been among the products not affected by Trump. Some slowdown in the domestic market is instead due to the crisis in the purchasing power of families, which greatly affects our typical customer who is between 30 and 65 years old'.

"The year 2023 closed with a slightly contracting production for a turnover that grew by 5%, but the first four months of 2024 are showing positive results with a growth of 12-13% in both volume and value," says Alfio Schiatti, chief commercial officer of Fattorie Garofalo, the leading producer of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana Dop with a turnover of around 140 million, who at Cibus presented the "Caramella di Bufala": a mozzarella morsel filled with buffalo ricotta. "We focus on product and distribution channel diversification, for example our sales outlets are worth 15-20% of the business," Schiatti continues, "but above all we focus on quality. Costs are rising and the only way is to stay at the high end. Consumers' tastes are also evolving abroad: after the French, who are now true connoisseurs, now the Germans too are becoming increasingly demanding'.

The cow's milk product also has its PDO: the production of Mozzarella di Gioia del Colle, say the Consortium, has risen from 240 tons in 2022 (first year of activity) to 360 in 2023, 90% of which is destined for the national market. The PDO has brought new stimuli to companies such as Gioiella, which presented its rebranding at Cibus: founded in 1946, it now has a turnover of 150 million, three times that of 2019, more than a third of which is generated abroad.