Italian Truckers' Protest Halts Buffalo Mozzarella Production

A truckers' protest in southern Italy has brought the production of buffalo mozzarella to a standstill, resulting in an estimated 3 million euros ($3.4 million) in losses within 24 hours. The week-long strike by truck drivers, protesting the elevated cost of diesel fuel exacerbated by the Iran war, has blocked deliveries of essential goods across much of southern Italy, leading to empty gas pumps and disrupting supermarkets.

The blockade poses a particular threat to buffalo mozzarella due to its tightly regulated and time-sensitive production process. The Consortium for the Protection of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP, which oversees production standards, stated that approximately 1 million liters of buffalo milk produced daily could not be processed into cheese because of the transport blockade. Production rules mandate that buffalo milk must be transformed into mozzarella within 60 hours of milking.

Farmers face the challenge of managing the undeliverable milk, as they lack the capacity to store large quantities for extended periods. Similarly, dairies are unable to accumulate the highly perishable product if trucks cannot transport it to customers. Several dairies have been forced to close, leading to what officials describe as a "complete production blockade."

Some farmers have resorted to feeding a portion of the unprocessed milk to their animals, while also facing threats to supplies of animal feed and the diesel fuel necessary for farm operations. Pier Maria Saccani, director of the consortium, characterized the situation as "very, very complex and delicate."

This disruption occurs as milk producers and dairies are already contending with increased operational costs. The consortium estimates that production expenses have risen by about 30%, attributed to higher prices for animal feed, diesel, energy, plastic packaging, and transportation. Producers have absorbed much of this increase, impacting profitability across the supply chain, as these costs have not been fully passed on to consumers.

Buffalo mozzarella is a significant industry in the Campania region, including Naples, and surrounding southern Italian areas. In 2025, production of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP reached just under 58,000 metric tons, with approximately 37% exported, France being the largest foreign market.

The Italian government, led by Giorgia Meloni, has convened an extraordinary Cabinet meeting to deliberate on potential aid measures for the affected transportation and agricultural sectors.