The data concerning the export of Italian typical PDO cheeses to Spain are surprising and the trend recorded in the last two years is encouraging: in the first three months of 2015, shipments to Madrid increased by 33%, and from January to July 2015 they recorded + 21.3% in comparison with the same period of last year, reaching a total of 12,549 tonnes. This emerges from the processing carried out by Afidop. These data are very positive and even better than + 16% recorded in 2014, when exports of Italian cheeses directed to the Iberian Peninsula exceeded 18,000 tonnes, for a value of 100 million Euros. Thanks to the performance recorded in 2015, Spain overtook Belgium and became the fourth largest market in Europe for dairy ‘Made in Italy’ products, after France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. According to Afidop, Spanish consumers seem to appreciate very much the variety of dairy products that Italy can offer: from curds to blue cheeses, from fresh to seasoned cheeses, from soft to hard products. And PDO cheeses, in particular, are driving sales in Spain. As a matter of fact, the ranking of ‘best sellers’ is led, after the ubiquitous mozzarella, by PDO ‘Grana Padano’ and PDO ‘Parmigiano Reggiano’, which in the first seven months of 2015 exceeded 2,000 tonnes. Good result were reached by ‘Provolone’, too (PDO Valpadana included, with 1,034 tonnes) and PDO Gorgonzola (547 tonnes).
