Italian transport workers are disrupting mozzarella production / Losses of €3 million in a single day

A protest by Italian transport workers, which has been ongoing for approximately one week, has blocked deliveries to supermarkets and petrol stations in southern Italy and temporarily paralyzed buffalo mozzarella production. Approximately one million liters of milk failed to reach cheese factories on Wednesday, causing estimated losses of €3 million in just 24 hours.

Buffalo milk must be collected and processed quickly, within no more than 60 hours of milking, for the product to receive protected designation of origin certification. Farmers have limited storage capacity, and road blockades have left them without means to preserve the milk. Some have begun using it to feed their animals.

Several cheese factories have closed because they cannot produce or distribute mozzarella, a perishable food that cannot be stored in large quantities. The disruptions are also affecting farms’ supplies of animal feed and diesel.

The industry was already facing an approximately 30% increase in production costs, driven by higher prices for feed, energy, packaging, and transport. In 2025, production of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP amounted to nearly 58,000 tonnes, with 37% exported. Giorgia Meloni’s government is discussing support measures for the transport and agricultural sectors.