Is there a symbolic product of regional food and wine? And if it exists, who is it that wins the battle between the flagships of agri-food exports made in Fvg such as Collio wines and San Daniele ham. Or is the classic popular combination of cheese and polenta more emblematic, well represented by the combination of Montasio and Mortean blave? To the readers of Messaggero Veneto the verdict, but also the task of indicating which are, seen from the perspective of the citizen-consumer, the best strategies to promote our excellence and through them the territory. And viceversa.
It will be discussed on 7 September, in Udine, in the court of Palazzo Morpurgo, during the event The alphabet of the future organized by the Gedi publishing group. A preview of Friuli Doc, the great food and wine festival scheduled from 8 to 11 September.
The state of agribusiness
It goes without saying that the event comes at a time when the agri-food industry is also sailing on sight, heavily affected by the rise in energy prices, raw materials, and a summer that has never been so long and dry. Critical issues that have triggered a spiral of strong growth in costs, generating unknowns on the economic stability of companies, due to the possible impact on consumption and production capacity. Concerns shared by those who represent the four “flagship” products identified by the Messaggero Veneto. “In December – reveals Eddi Gomboso, president of the agricultural cooperative Blave di Mortean – we will inaugurate the new processing and packaging plant in Mortegliano and we are also investing heavily in extending the sales network, offering new products and experimenting with new grains. The spiral of growth in costs, and not only in energy costs, however, risks heavily influencing this growth policy. If the results we have behind us and the enthusiasm of our shareholders are a sign of strength, the inflationary spiral is a great unknown, also because we are unable to transfer the full weight of the increases onto the market ».
The consumer front
Decreasing margins also for the only PDO cheese in the region. «The average price of milk in the stable – explains Renato Romanzin, of the Montasio Consortium – has risen to 55 cents plus VAT per liter. If we consider that an average of 11 liters of cheese are needed for a kilo of cheese, this means that 6 euros of our product is only the cost of the raw material, net of processing, packaging and distribution costs. The inevitable increases are not enough to cover the higher costs. Customers? They must be aware of the values present in a quality product like ours. That said, the cost on the market of a hectogram of dairy, which corresponds to the normal daily nutritional ration, is about one euro, the lowest there is ». It is inevitable that all this has slowed down a phase that for the whole of 2021 had been of strong growth, also thanks to the push of new products such as Montasio under the PDM brand, processed with milk from high altitude. “2022 – Romanzin reveals again – saw a contraction already in the first half: there is a bit of suffering throughout the agri-food sector, tensions on prices, stalls that are struggling, especially the smallest ones, increases and scarcity of fodder and feed, expensive energy ».
It pushes the restaurant business
If Montasio has been playing defense for a few months, for San Daniele the growth continued also in the first half of 2022 and throughout the summer, thanks to the boost of the catering sector, in a decisive revival after the great darkness of the pandemic. «But autumn – comments the director of the consortium Mario Emilio Cichetti from the Aria di Festa stands – is full of unknowns. Bills that have quintupled compared to last year, for those who have contracts less protected by increases, are able to blow up even companies in a sector not considered energy-intensive like ours. Helmet on your head? No helmet, but great attention to quality, avoid overproduction and negotiate fair prices with large retailers ». Hand in hand with San Daniele, in a so far very brilliant 2022, also the wines of Collio. After paying hard for the crisis in the ho.re.ca sector in 2020 and 2021, the return to restaurants and bars has favored a decisive turnaround. “But the increase in energy and raw materials – explains the president of the Doc consortium David Buzzinelli – makes itself felt and affects the price lists, growing on average by 10%”. Tensions are increased by drought, but the first of the regional DOCs has strong shoulders and continues to be a living example of food and wine as a flag and the driving force of the whole territory: “In the combination with the territory – declares Buzzinelli – it is the essence same as wine. The success of the denominations can be explained in this way and it is a bond that remains even more today: in the global market, you play a role in your ability to identify yourself with the territory and for the peculiarities that make you different from others “.