DELI MEATS: PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION GOOD IN 2021, BUT RISING COSTS WEIGH ON COMPANIES IN THE SECTOR.
On the occasion of the ASSICA Annual General Meeting, the economic data of the sector were presented. Cold cuts are confirmed as a real comfort food in this period of uncertainty. But if 2021 saw a recovery in consumption, both in Italy (+5.4% in volume) and abroad (export +15.2% in volume, +12.0% in value) as well as in production (+7.0% in volume and +6.2% in value), compared to 2020, production costs and difficulties in the sector have also grown exponentially. Companies in the sector are now at the brink of exhaustion: they are among the hardest hit by price increases, because the use of energy in processing and storage processes is highly impactful, and to worsen the outlook, cases of PSA among wild boars in Italy have been added. This is severely damaging exports, both in Europe and in third countries, which were a key driver during 2021.
Consumption abroad:
There was a strong increase in foreign demand, which benefited from the recovery in business and the fewer restrictions, compared to our country, adopted in several partner states both within the EU and among third countries, driven by the boom in shipments to the USA, which recorded an extraordinary +53.0% in quantity and +43.3% in value. – commented Ruggero Lenti, President of ASSICA during the press conference for the presentation of the Annual General Meeting, held today in Rome, as part of the ‘Trust Your Taste, CHOOSE EUROPEAN QUALITY’ Project co-financed by the European Union – – With rising production costs, the ongoing war, the cases of African Swine Fever in the country, and fears of new waves of Covid-19 in the autumn, the current scenario is giving rise to serious concerns. Companies have so far held out, gradually reducing their margins.
Italian consumption:
Apparent consumption per capita, considering the population trend and the lower presence of tourists, was around 17 kg compared to 16.2 in 2020 (+5.4%) corresponding to an average real consumption per capita of around 11.3 kg/year. In 2021, all the main categories of cured meats showed growth. The structure of domestic consumption thus saw cooked ham in first place again, with a share of 27.1% of total cured meats, followed by raw ham at 21.9%, mortadella/wurstel at 18.8%, salami at 8.0% and bresaola at 2.5%. Other cured meats close at 21.7%.
In 2021, the production of cured meats returned to growth, after the significant drop in 2020 due to the pandemic, and closed the twelve months at 1.169 million tonnes from 1.093 in 2020 (+7.0%). The value of production also increased to EUR 8.420 million (+6.2%) from EUR 7.927 million in 2020.
In addition, 2021 was a very good year for exports and set a new record, according to ISTAT: 197,759 tonnes for a turnover of EUR 1,836 million, registering a double-digit increase in both volume (+15.2%) and value (+12.0%). Thanks to this important milestone, exports of Italian cured meats recovered from the downturn of the difficult 2020 and far exceeded pre-pandemic levels, recording +7.9% in quantity and +15.6% in value compared to 2019.
