Key facts
- An estimated 3 million euros in revenue was lost in 24 hours due to the protest.
- The production halt is due to milk not reaching dairies and cheese not reaching customers.
- The strike is driven by high diesel costs, exacerbated by the Iran war.
- Buffalo mozzarella production requires milk to be processed within 60 hours.
- About 1 million liters of buffalo milk produced on Wednesday could not be turned into mozzarella.
- Production costs for milk producers and dairies have risen about 30%.
A truckers' protest in southern Italy has halted the production of buffalo mozzarella, leading to an estimated loss of €3 million (US$3.37 million) in just 24 hours. The strike, now in its week, is driven by the high cost of diesel, which has been exacerbated by the Iran war. This disruption prevents milk from reaching dairies in the Naples region and finished cheese from reaching customers.
The tightly timed supply chain for buffalo mozzarella means that milk must be processed within 60 hours of milking. Approximately 1 million liters of buffalo milk produced on Wednesday could not be turned into mozzarella due to the transport blockade, according to Pier Maria Saccani, director of the Consortium for the Protection of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP. Several dairies have remained closed, creating a "complete production blockade."
Farmers are facing panic as they have limited capacity to store perishable milk. The situation is compounded by rising production costs, estimated to have increased by about 30% due to higher prices for animal feed, diesel, energy, and packaging. The Italian government approved new tax breaks and financial aid totaling €540 million for truckers and farmers on Thursday, but it remains uncertain if this will be sufficient to end the protest.