Italian agrifood districts, exports at +14% in the first 9 months of 2022, driven by wine

If made-in-Italy agrifood in 2022 will have surpassed the record of 60 billion euros in exports, and wine that of 8 billion euros (in a few days official Istat data will reveal this), much of the credit goes to made-in-Italy agrifood districts, which alone are worth 44% of export values. And which, according to Intesa Sanpaolo’s monitor, in the first 9 months of 2022, saw exports grow by +14.1% at current values over the same period in 2021 (in line with total Italian agrifood exports, which, between January and September, did +16.75), reaching almost 19 billion euros). In particular, the food and beverage industries were the driving force, growing by 19% in the January-September 2022 period, compared with a price index on foreign markets that grew by 10.5% in the same period.
Wine is confirmed as the leading supply chain, with a value of 4.9 billion euros exported in the first nine months of 2022 (+11.7% trend), and an increase of 515 million compared to the same period in 2021. The largest contribution, in terms of growth, comes from the Prosecco district of Conegliano Valdobbiadene, with 167 million more, for a total of 759 million euros, (+28.1% trend), made in particular towards the United States (+27.1%), Germany (+36.8%) and France (+62.4%); sales to the United Kingdom also resume growth (+16.2%) although they still remain 20% below 2019 levels. Second, in terms of contribution to growth, is the Florentine Hills and Sienese Wines district (+15.1%, over 90 million increase), which continues to push into distant markets, particularly the United States (+16.5%) and Canada (+23%). Excellent results also for the Wines of Langhe, Roero and Monferrato district, which totaled more than 1.5 billion euros in the first 9 months 2022 (+5.6%), confirming its position as the leading district by total value: leading the way were the European markets, first and foremost, Germany (+10%), France (+21.8%) and Spain (+65.2%); sales to the United Kingdom (+12.9%) and Switzerland (+11.5%) were also positive, offsetting the backward trend in the U.S. Market (-18.9%). Veronese Wines also remained in broadly positive territory (+9.8%), thanks to widespread progress towards all major trade destinations: Germany (+3.3%), the United States (+17.9%), the United Kingdom (+12.9%) and Canada (+21.9%). Next in terms of export values is the pasta and sweets supply chain, which exceeded 3 billion euros in current values in the January-September 2022 period, 556 million more than in the same period in 2021 (+21.6%).
The result should also be read in light of inflationary dynamics: for the Italian pasta and pastry industry, the price index on foreign markets recorded a trend increase of 17.2% in the first 9 months of 2022. The supply chain, which is among the most energy-intensive, was also affected by the price increases of raw materials and fertilizers, which peaked in mid-2022, and the drought that made its effects felt on domestic cereal production.
All districts recorded double-digit increases in exports in the first 9 months of 2022; in particular, the pasta and pastry sectors in Parma’s food industry stand out, with 142 million euros (of which 31 to Germany and 20 to France), additional over the first 9 months of 2021 (+20.9%), and the Neapolitan food industry, with 108 million euros increase (of which 39 to the United Kingdom and 33 to the United States, +53%). Excellent results also for Alba and Cuneo sweets (+10.2%).