Italy’s heatwave puts Parmigiano Reggiano producers under pressure

Italy’s prolonged summer heat is putting pressure on Parmigiano Reggiano producers as dairy farmers face falling milk yields, higher cooling costs and growing difficulties securing feed and water.

Northern Italy is experiencing its fourth major heatwave of the summer, with temperatures approaching 40C. Farmers are spending more on fans, sprinklers and other cooling systems, while drought is raising the cost of producing forage.

“It's as if the cow has a radiator inside her,” Giovanni Buonaiuto, a veterinarian with the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, told POLITICO.

Dairy cows can experience heat stress at around 25C, depending on humidity. As temperatures rise, they eat and ruminate less, causing milk production to fall.

Buonaiuto said milk production had declined by about 10% on average this summer, although the impact varied depending on farms’ cooling systems.

Federica Dall’Aglio, who runs a 400-head cattle farm near Parma, said each cow was producing five to six kilograms less milk a day, a decline of about 20%, despite fans and water sprays.

Farmers are also changing working hours, cutting and collecting hay in the early morning when temperatures are lower.

Cooling cattle is becoming more expensive. Luca Cotti, a dairy farmer and president of Coldiretti in Emilia-Romagna, said electricity use in barns could double or triple during extreme heat as cooling systems run almost continuously.

Around half of Parmigiano Reggiano dairy farms, accounting for about 70% of the milk used to make the cheese, have invested in advanced cooling systems, according to consortium president Nicola Bertinelli.

Drought is adding to the pressure. Low rainfall and declining water levels in Alpine lakes have contributed to severe drought conditions in the Po River basin, a key agricultural area.

When rivers are too low for irrigation, some farmers must pump groundwater, making irrigation about five times more expensive because of the energy required, according to Lorenzo Catellani of CIA Agricoltori Emilia-Romagna.

Farmers’ groups are calling for greater investment in reservoirs and water-storage infrastructure.

Despite the challenges, producers say there is no immediate risk of a Parmigiano Reggiano shortage. Strong global demand is giving farmers greater scope to invest in adapting their operations, although smaller producers with older facilities could eventually struggle with the cost.

For now, farmers are waiting for temperatures to ease. “We keep going like this,” Cotti said. “We hope it ends as soon as possible.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev