Protests by truck drivers in southern Italy against high fuel prices are preventing buffalo milk farmers in Campania from getting their milk to cheese dairies, costing the sector around EUR 3 million in sales a day. The Meloni government has put together an aid package, but many protesters say it is not enough, Lebensmittel Praxis reports.
Key points:
- Truck drivers’ protests have blocked buffalo milk deliveries to Campania’s cheese dairies for four days.
- The region produces 650,000 litres of buffalo milk a day, which must be processed within 60 hours of milking.
- The sector’s daily losses are estimated at around EUR 3 million.
- The Italian government has allocated about EUR 130 million in aid, including EUR 60 million for agriculture.
Milk not reaching the dairies
Protests by Italian truck drivers over high fuel prices are threatening buffalo mozzarella production in the southern region of Campania. Many buffalo milk farmers have been unable to transport their milk to cheese dairies for four days, according to the Consortium for the Protection of «Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP». Deliveries of finished mozzarella to retailers have also been disrupted.
According to the consortium, Campania produces 650,000 litres of buffalo milk a day. To make mozzarella with Protected Designation of Origin (Denominazione di Origine Protetta, DOP) status, the milk must be processed within 60 hours of milking. With limited storage tank capacity on farms, some milk risks spoiling. Media reports put the sector’s daily revenue losses at around EUR 3 million.
Even packaging is in short supply
Marco Nobis, head of a dairy in Campania, described the situation to news portal Il Post.
«We thought we could keep going, because the farms that supply us with milk are only a few kilometres from the dairy», he said. But production had to stop.
«We would have run out of materials to pack the mozzarella anyway: we can’t even get the polystyrene boxes we need for shipping», Nobis said, according to the consortium’s statement.
Meloni government provides EUR 130 million
Since last week, truck drivers in southern Italy have been blocking roads and motorways. Many supermarkets have been unable to restock shelves, and petrol stations have faced shortages.
In response, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government approved a package of tax relief and financial aid, including around EUR 60 million for agriculture, EUR 10 million for fisheries and another EUR 60 million for the transport sector.
Some protesters, however, say the measures do not go far enough. According to news agency Ansa, a truck convoy drove through Naples in protest against the package. Representatives of truck drivers from Calabria, Campania and Sicily had earlier announced that the protests would soon wind down — but whether that happens remains to be seen.
Source: Lebensmittel Praxis
