The pandemic does not stop Grana Padano which in 2020 recorded an increase in production of 2.2%, exceeding 5.2 million, with a real boom in consumption that grew by 6.4%. Positive signs also for foreign sales with + 3.4%. This is the budget presented by the Consortium’s General Assembly which took place for the second year online, which outlined the objectives for the next 4 years. Positive data but which could certainly be better if the legislator was able to contain or limit agropiracy. «The members of the Grana Padano protection consortium export 41% of production for 1.3 billion euros but the product consumed as if it were Grana Padano, and it is not, is almost 3 times the value, almost 3 billion euros. If we managed to have more transparent rules towards consumers, exports would probably reach 2 billion euros in a short time “, explained the director of the consortium Stefano Berni, speaking a few days ago at the press conference of The European House Ambrosetti that the next 4 and 5 June will organize the fifth edition of the Bormio Forum, dedicated to Food & Beverage. From his point of view, “consumers are further confused by” traffic lights “because they condemn products like ours with colors”.
The numbers for 2020, as mentioned, however, are positive and confirm Grana Padano as the most important Italian milk player, consolidating its position as the most consumed PDO product in the world. “Staying at home has favored and compensated for what was lost in catering – said the president of the Consortium Renato Zaghini – with consumption that went very well both in Italy and abroad”.
The assembly also served to outline the growth plan for the next few years. The path from now to 2024 is to increase consumption from a minimum of 11% to a maximum of 24%, remembering that the trend of the last ten years has stood at + 2.1% per year. The president then announced that he would aim to exceed the 6 million wheels produced by the end of 2024 to further consolidate the world‘s quantitative leadership.