The cooperative system has thus protected the breeders who work in the mountains and are part of ‘Latteria Sociale Valtellina’ from the decrease in price of milk from the milking, estimated by 25% in less than a year, but what happens in general on milk market creates serious concerns. President Armando Acquistapace highlights: ‘The ongoing negotiations concerning the price of milk are not a positive sign for the livestock sector. Mostly in the province of Sondrio (Lombardy, high Adda Valley), the farms carry their product to such cooperatives as our one, which ensure both right price and regular payments: two essential elements that ensure survival and even yield for their activity. Both in the mountains and in the valley, breeding requires important sacrifices, which at the price proposed by the industry are not in any way rewarded: the devaluation of such a high quality raw material as Italian milk puzzles us and increases our fears for the future’.
Maintaining the sales levels that had been recorded in 2014 (30 million Euros) is an important achievement, given the present economic downturn. Director Marco Deghi explains: ‘This is not so obvious: the competition is fierce and our market is increasingly difficult. We were able to launch into the market some historical quality cheeses, with their own history and their own brand: ‘Valtellina Casera’ and ‘Bitto’ first of all, but also our soft cheeses, such as ‘Piattone’. Thanks to their success, we can give a better return on milk, which is nothing more than the right price for it, that we recognize to the farmers who carry us their milk. Otherwise, we could not do this. Therefore, the promotion of our cheeses is essential, both at the business level and as for food system and also for our land’.
In late November, ‘Latteria Sociale Valtellina’ has been the focus of a three-day promotion at ‘Eataly’ sale points, where it boasts a constant presence in assortment. The aim of the event consists in presenting specifically three historical cheeses included in this assortment: ‘PDO Seasoned Valtellina Casera’, ‘PDO vintage Bitto’, and ‘Scimudin’. For the first two ones, respectively, the company produces 73% of the certified cheese rounds (about 120,000 of Casera) and 45% of PDO Bitto (9000 rounds).
