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Connection between production and export of some Italian cheese
LOGO UE DOP Here below you will find some Italian Cheeses (mainly P.D.O.) selected for their significant production and export volumes.

In addition to production and export volumes showed on the table here below is reported also the share (%) of export compared with production.
This data together with domestic consumption outlines the product sales trend.

To deepen this topic please consult the EU 27 internal and external trade of EXTRA-HARD PDO CHEESES (Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano) connected with export refunds dynamics where you will find the influence of refund on exports whether they are applied or not.
ITALIAN CHEESES - Comparison between Production and Export - PDO Cheeses
Grana Padano + Parmigiano Reggiano 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017**
Global Production (ton) 310.268 315.825 306.106 317.648 316.064 324.990 179.681 2017-06-30
Retinato productions **** (ton) 6.322 7.121 6.632 6.111 7.513 6.008 2.546 2017-05-31
Sbiancato productions **** (ton) 6.662 5.902 2.512 2.521 2.524 (e) 2.652 (e) 1.427 (e) 2017-06-30
Global Production PDO (ton) 297.284 302.802 296.962 309.016 306.028 316.330 175.708  
Production change % *   +1,86% -1,93% +4,06% -0,97% +3,37% +2,38%
Export whole + portioned (ton) 69.085 73.747 78.064 80.616 86.108 89.661 20.055 2017-03-31
Export 75% grated cheese *** (ton) 16.808 17.674 18.376 19.882 23.959 27.629 7.448  
Total Export (ton) 85.893 91.421 96.440 100.498 110.067 117.290 27.503  
Corresponding to the number of wheels ** 2.167.004 2.305.867 2.459.986 2.562.076 2.808.640 2.992.943 701.805  
Export accounts for % of global PDO production 28,89% 30,19% 32,48% 32,52% 35,97% 37,08% 31,17% 2017-03-31
Export/production balance variation (%) *   +1,3 +2,3 +0,0 +3,4 +1,1 +0,2
Grated cheese 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Grated export (ton) 22.411 23.565 24.501 26.509 31.945 36.838 9.931 2017-03-31
Export change % *   +5,15% +3,97% +8,20% +20,51% +15,32% +16,86%  

View the chart: ITALY - Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano, Grated or Powdered Cheese Exports

Gorgonzola 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Global Production (ton) 50.335 49.800 50.107 53.322 54.015 54.974 26.817 2017-06-30
Production change % *   -1,06% +0,62% +6,42% +1,30% +1,78% +3,13%
Export (ton) 14.668 15.254 16.029 16.479 18.590 20.237 4.840 2017-03-31
Export accounts for % of production 29,14% 30,63% 31,99% 30,90% 34,42% 36,81% 33,56% 2017-03-31
Export/production balance variation (%) *   +1,5 +1,4 -1,1 +3,5 +2,4 -0,9
Asiago, Montasio, Caciocavallo, Ragusano 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Production (ton) 32.134 30.451 30.515 30.929 28.793 29.203 29.288
Export (ton) 1.370 1.699 1.662 1.915 1.971 1.867 1.994
Export accounts for % of production 4,26% 5,58% 5,45% 6,19% 6,84% 6,39% 6,81%
Export/production balance variation (%) *   +1,3 -0,1 +0,7 +0,7 -0,5 +0,4
Provolone (PDO and not PDO) 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Production (ton) 26.759 28.742 30.117 27.857 26.694 5.330 25.720
Export (ton) 4.255 4.661 4.780 4.802 5.138 5.176 5.519
Export accounts for % of production 15,90% 16,22% 15,87% 17,24% 19,25% 97,10% 21,46%
Export/production balance variation (%) *   +0,3 -0,3 +1,4 +2,0 +77,9 -75,6
Pecorino (PDO and not PDO) 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Production (ton) 62.364 61.858 59.670 59.459 54.770 54.256 60.115
Export (ton) 16.338 15.067 16.385 17.972 16.830 16.624 17.042
Export accounts for % of production 26,20% 24,36% 27,46% 30,23% 30,73% 30,64% 28,35%
Export/production balance variation (%) *   -1,8 +3,1 +2,8 +0,5 -0,1 -2,3
Source: Consorzi di tutela, ISTAT
* Change from the same period of previous year
** For statistical purposes:
   - the weight of Grana Padano = 38,16 kg
   - the weight of Parmigiano Reggiano = 40,22 kg
*** It is assumed that 75% of the total exports of Grated Cheeses refer to Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano, and that the average weight of a wheel for Grated Cheese is the same as that of a wheel of Grana Padano + Parmigiano Reggiano (GP+PR)/2
**** For statistical purpose it is assumed that the weight of a "Retinato" Cheese is the same as that of a wheel of Grana Padano and the weight of a "Sbiancato" Cheese is the same as that of a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano (see table below with the average annual weight)

In the table below is shown, for each year, the average weight of a wheel, used for calculating the number of exported Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano wheels:
  Annual average weight of one form (Kg) - Processed by Clal
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Grana Padano 36,32 36,99 37,50 37,45 37,58 37,88 37,89 38,10 38,22 38,16 38,16
Parmigiano Reggiano 38,00 37,99 38,50 38,50 39,50 41,39 41,40 40,31 40,24 40,22 40,22
Average weight (GP+PR)/2 37,16 37,49 38,00 37,97 38,54 39,64 39,65 39,20 39,23 39,19 39,19
Gorgonzola 12,00 12,00 12,00 12,00 12,00 12,00 11,98 12,00 12,00 12,00 12,00