Italian hard cheese Parmigiano Reggiano experienced a mixed 2025, with production, exports and consumer value increasing, while the domestic market saw a slowdown.
The total consumer turnover for Parmigiano Reggiano reached €3.96 billion, with exports growing by 2.7% and accounting for 50.5% of the total sell-in.
In contrast, the Italian domestic market saw a 10% contraction in volumes, even though the consumer base remained stable.
This was attributed to higher consumer prices, leading to less frequent purchases and smaller quantities per transaction, though overall turnover remained largely stable.
Producer prices continued to strengthen, with the average price for 12-month aged cheese reaching €13.22/kg (+20.6% from 2024) and 24-month aged cheese increasing by 24.8%, to €15.59/kg.
Production also grew by 2.7%, to 4.19 million wheels, up from 4.08 million in 2024.
Leading Production Provinces
Parma remained the leading province in terms of production, followed by Reggio Emilia, Modena, Mantua and Bologna.
In terms of distribution within Italy, large-scale retail accounted for 65.5% of sales, while the industrial sector grew to 17.3%, driven by the increasing use of Parmigiano Reggiano as an ingredient.
The HoReCa channel remained marginal, at 6.7%, but showed growth potential, while the remaining 10.5% was distributed through other sales channels.
Total exports amounted to 74,980 tonnes, with key markets like the UK (+7.8%), Canada (+8.3%) and Sweden (+8.8%) showing strong growth.
The United States, the largest foreign market, also saw a positive trend (+2.3%), despite additional tariffs and geopolitical tensions, which pose a risk for 2026.
France (-0.3%) and Germany (+0.1%) maintained stable volumes.
To counter these challenges and further strengthen its global position, the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium invested €34.3 million in marketing and communication.
Dining and Cooking