A truckers’ protest halts the production of Italy's famed buffalo mozzarella
A truckers' strike in southern Italy has halted the production of the famed buffalo mozzarella, blocking an estimated 3 million euros in production in just 24 hours.
The weeklong strike by truck drivers over high diesel costs has blocked deliveries of other basic goods to supermarkets and left gas pumps empty in much of southern Italy.
The disruption is particularly damaging to buffalo mozzarella because its production depends on a tightly timed supply chain.
Farmers have only enough capacity to hold fresh milk until dairy trucks collect it and cannot store large quantities for extended periods.
Supply chain collapse
Pier Maria Saccani, director of the Consortium for the Protection of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP, said that about 1 million liters of buffalo milk produced in a single day couldn't be turned into mozzarella because of the transport blockade.
Yesterday, no mozzarella was produced,” Saccani said, explaining it was a “3 million-euro block in 24 hours” — a loss of about 3.4 million dollars.
Several dairies have remained closed as a result, Saccani said, describing the situation as a “complete production blockade.”
Some farmers have resorted to feeding part of the unused milk to their animals because they have nowhere to send it, Saccani said, adding that the transport disruption is also threatening supplies of animal feed and diesel needed to keep farms operating.
Rising costs and government response
The blockade comes as milk producers and dairies are already confronting higher costs. Saccani said the consortium estimates production costs have risen about 30%, driven by increases in animal feed, diesel, energy, plastic packaging and transportation.
The increases have not been fully passed on to customers, he said, leaving producers to absorb much of the additional expense and cutting into profitability across the supply chain.
Buffalo mozzarella is an important industry in the Campania region, where the city of Naples is located, and neighboring areas of southern Italy.
Saccani said that in 2025, the production of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP totaled just under 58,000 metric tons, with about 37% of production exported. France is its largest foreign market.
The Italian government led by Giorgia Meloni has called an extraordinary Cabinet meeting on Thursday to discuss possible aid measures for the transportation and agriculture sectors.
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