Italian Truckers' Strike Halts Buffalo Mozzarella Production

A truckers' protest in southern Italy has brought production of the protected buffalo mozzarella cheese to a standstill, resulting in an estimated daily loss of 3 million euros. The week-long strike, driven by high diesel costs exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, has also led to shortages of other essential goods in supermarkets and emptied gas stations across southern Italy.

The unique production process for buffalo mozzarella, a protected designation of origin (DOP) product, relies on a highly synchronized supply chain. Buffaloes must be milked daily, and their milk must be processed into mozzarella within 60 hours. The current transport blockade has prevented approximately 1 million liters of milk produced daily from reaching dairies in the Naples region, according to Pier Maria Saccani, director of the Consortium for the Protection of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP.

"Yesterday, no mozzarella was produced," Saccani stated, describing the situation as a "3 million-euro block in 24 hours." Farmers are facing a crisis as they have limited capacity to store the perishable milk and are unable to meet the strict production timelines.

Several dairies have been forced to close, leading to a "complete production blockade." Saccani noted that some farmers have resorted to feeding unused milk to their animals due to the lack of viable transport options. The disruption also threatens the supply of essential farm inputs like animal feed and diesel fuel needed for operations.

The Italian government, led by Premier Giorgia Meloni, approved new measures on Thursday, including enhanced tax credits for truckers and farmers. These measures aim to provide financial relief to address the rising fuel costs, increasing the total aid to 540 million euros from a previous 434 million euros. However, it remains to be seen if these concessions will be sufficient to end the protest.

Production costs for buffalo mozzarella producers have already surged by approximately 30%, according to Saccani, due to increased expenses for animal feed, diesel, energy, packaging, and transportation. These rising costs have not been fully passed on to consumers, forcing producers to absorb a significant portion of the increased expense, thereby impacting profitability throughout the supply chain.

Buffalo mozzarella is a significant industry in the Campania region, which includes Naples, and surrounding areas of southern Italy. In 2025, the production of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP reached just under 58,000 metric tons, with approximately 37% of that total being exported, primarily to France.