On the way to empty shelves? The protest paralyzing the production of popular cheese

A truck drivers' strike in southern Italy has halted the production of buffalo mozzarella cheese, causing losses of about 3 million euros per day. The reason: a sharp rise in diesel prices. About one million liters of milk are not reaching processing daily. The government is expected to discuss aid measures.

A truck drivers' strike in southern Italy has completely halted the production of the famous buffalo mozzarella cheese, causing losses estimated at about 3 million euros per day. The reason for the protest is the sharp rise in diesel prices, which prevents fresh milk from reaching dairies. According to the Consortium for the Protection of Buffalo Mozzarella, about one million liters of milk are not reaching processing daily. Strict production rules require turning buffalo milk into cheese within 60 hours of milking, and farmers have no capacity to store large quantities. The protest comes at a time when producers are facing a jump of about 30% in production costs. The buffalo mozzarella industry is a major economic sector in the Campania region, and last year production volume stood at nearly 58,000 tons. The Italian government led by Giorgia Meloni is expected to discuss possible aid measures.