Heat waves: Parmigiano Reggiano under pressure

The heat waves that are hitting Northern Italy are putting pressure on the farms in the Parmigiano Reggiano supply chain, with an average drop in milk production of around 10% during the summer. This is what Giovanni Buonaiuto, veterinarian of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, reports to Politico.eu, according to which the impact varies significantly from company to company based on the cooling systems available. With temperatures close to 40 degrees, fans and water sprayers work almost non-stop on farms. Dairy cows can start to suffer from thermal stress already around 25 degrees, depending on the humidity: they eat less, rest and ruminate less and, consequently, produce less milk. Prolonged heat can also affect fertility. On some farms the decline is even more marked. Federica Dall'Aglio, who raises around 400 animals in the Parma plain, reported to Politico.eu a decrease of five-six kilos of milk per day per cow, equal to around 20%, despite the use of fans and irrigation systems. According to the president of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, Nicola Bertinelli, approximately half of the farms in the supply chain, responsible for 70% of the milk produced, have already been equipped with advanced systems against the heat, including fans, automatically activated nebulizers and temperature monitoring devices. The remaining 30% of production comes largely from companies located in hilly and mountainous areas, where temperatures are lower. However, adaptation involves increasing costs. Luca Cotti, president of Coldiretti Emilia-Romagna and breeder, explained that during periods of extreme heat, electricity consumption in stables can double or triple. Added to the pressure of high temperatures is that of drought: to guarantee the necessary fodder for the animals, the use of irrigation increases and, when river water is not enough, pumping from aquifers. According to the PDO specification, cows, milk and processing must remain within the designated geographical area and at least 75% of the forage must be of local origin.