Friday, December 01, 2006

"Amber Waves of Grain" in Italy ???? World Leader in Durum Wheat!

The ANNOTICO Report

 

Actually, Italy IMPORTS much of it's grain, apparently a lot from Canada, Processes it into mostly Pasta, and exports it's High Quality product around the World.

 

The figure that "floored" me was that 100 times more wheat is used in Italy for Bread, than for Pasta!!!!!!!!

 

 

ITALY WORLD LEADER IN DURUM WHEAT, BUT 2006 A BAD YEAR

 

AGI

On behalf of the Italian Prime Minister's office

Rome

November 29, 2006 

 

 The Italian milling industry is leader in Europe and in the world, both regarding the number of mills (178) and the overall output, 6,800,000 tonnes.

 

Soft wheat products: production in 2005 was almost 4,300,000 tonnes, 4 mln of which for the domestic market (2,840,000 tonnes for bread-making; 540,000 for desserts; 350,000 for pizza; 210,000 for house use; 25,000 for pasta); 300,000 tonnes were exported.

 

Despite a non encouraging figure for wheat product exportation (halved over the past 5 years), Italy's leadership in finished products offsets the use of foreign raw material, confirming its leadership in the processing sector.

 

The export of pasta and foodstuffs to a huge wheat supplier such as Canada, for example, is worth three times as much as the imported products.

 

Figures on pasta, appreciated worldwide, testifies the records of 'Made in Italy' products: Italy's pasta-making industry is the first for potential production, national consumption, consumption per capita and exportation.

 

UNPI (Unione Nazionale Industriali Pastai) claims that, in 2005, Italy's pasta production topped 3 mln tonnes, while sales aborad increased by 3.6 pct in quantity and by 2.7 pct in value.

 

But unfortunately according to the latest Italmopa figures, Italy's crops dropped by over 10 pct in 2006, compared with 2005. There were losses throughout Italy, except for a gain in where else...Northern Italy (Emilia Romagna)

 

Main losses in the south: Apulia (630,000 tonnes in 2006 compared with 900,000 in 2005, -30 pct), Basilicata (190,000 tonnes, -40 pct), Calabria (100,000 tonnes, same as in 2005), Sicily (450,000 tonnes, -25 pct), Sardinia (150,000 tonnes, -17 pct). Same sitution in central Italy: Tuscany 250,000 (-38 pct), Lazio -24 pct, Marches -20 pct. Things change in the north: Emilia Romagna 210,000 tonnes (+16 pct).

 

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