Parmigiano Reggiano confirmed as Italy’s most important Dop produced in the mountains

Parmigiano Reggiano confirms its status as the most important Dop cheese produced in the mountains, accounting for more than 22% of total production.

This is demonstrated by the new data provided by the Consortium at the press conference presenting the 60th Parmigiano Reggiano Fair in Casina (31 July–3 August). In 2025, production by the 82 mountain dairies covered by the Dop (located in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and Bologna to the left of the River Reno) exceeded 921.000 wheels, with an increase of +4,2% compared with 2024 and +20,4% compared with 2016, the year in which the Consortium’s policy of relaunching and promoting the product was inaugurated.

Growing mountain production

Moreover, in the first six months of 2026, mountain production recorded +5,9% compared with the same period of 2025, exceeding the +5,5% of the district average. [[ARTW_HTMLOPEN_AAAZ]Milk production is also growing in parallel, reaching 436.000 tonnes (+2,6% compared with 2024 and +14,7% compared with 2016), thanks to the work of the 785 farmers currently active in the Emilian Apennines (equal to 36,8% of all farmers who supply milk for the Dop).

A fundamental boost also came from the launch in 2016 of the Parmigiano Reggiano “Mountain Product” certification, designed to provide greater economic sustainability for the area and offer consumers even stricter guarantees regarding the cheese’s origin and quality.

The figures confirm the initiative’s success: more than 218.000 wheels have been processed by 30 certified dairies, accounting for almost 24% of production in mountain areas. These figures demonstrate the success of the policies introduced by the Consortium, which have managed to reverse a dangerous negative trend. Between 2000 and 2010, the Apennines had lost 60 dairies and 10% of milk production. This deficit was halted from 2014 onwards by the Supply Regulation Plan, which introduced specific discounts and a milk quota pool expressly dedicated to mountain areas.

The Parmigiano Reggiano Fair gets ready to open

To promote and enhance mountain production, from Friday 31 July to Monday 3 August the 60th Parmigiano Reggiano Fair in Casina (Reggio Emilia) will be held. Last year, the town received the title of Cheese City from Onaf (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Formaggio, the National Organisation of Cheese Tasters) as a locality representative of Dop production. In addition to concerts, DJ sets, aperitifs, markets, fireworks and shows for adults and children, the four-day event will feature 42 mountain dairies, more than half of those in the district, presenting their “jewels” and offering all visitors tastings with the opportunity to purchase. It will also be an opportunity to discover unusual combinations curated by the Associazione Assaggiatori Parmigiano Reggiano (APR), which will offer [[ARTW_HTMLOPEN_AABR]pairings with wines, honeys, vinegars and cocktails.

The highlight of the celebration will be the 14th edition of the Palio del Parmigiano Reggiano “Città di Casina”, scheduled for Monday 3 August at 20.00 in Piazza IV Novembre. The 42 dairies will compete with 24-month-aged mountain Parmigiano Reggiano, while 10 of them will also compete with 40-month-aged cheese. The two dairies that take first place will be celebrated alongside the winners of the other 11 Parmigiano Reggiano Palii 2026 at a gala evening during which the prestigious Casello d’Oro will be awarded (the next edition will be held in Berlin in February 2027). The fair will also host the 9th wheel-cutting competition, in which master cheesemakers will compete in precision and speed to hand-cut wheels into portions until they reach the classic one-kilo wedges.

An opportunity for mountain areas

“Parmigiano Reggiano confirms its status as the backbone of the economy of the Emilian Apennines, the most important Dop produced at altitude,” declares Nicola Bertinelli, president of the Consortium. “Operating in these areas means facing continuous challenges and higher costs, but the agricultural and livestock presence is essential for the very survival of the mountains. Without Parmigiano Reggiano, agriculture in these areas would be abandoned. Instead, thanks to the work of the Consortium, the ‘Mountain Product’ certification and the Vivi Parmigiano Reggiano project, we are transforming these challenges into opportunities, building a high-quality tourism ecosystem where landscape, traditions and hospitality come together to attract discerning visitors, breathing life into extraordinary areas that deserve to be experienced and shared.”

“Over the years, the Consortium has made a constant commitment to supporting the mountains, an effort that is now called upon to regain momentum,” said Andrea Lori, the Consortium’s managing director for mountain areas. “Our priority is not limited to protecting production alone, but aims to significantly accelerate the tools and policies for promoting the product. To this end, between September and October, we will launch a series of meetings in the area for direct and practical discussions with all mountain dairies. The aim is to jointly define a new package of strategic measures, which will form the backbone of the proposals for the 2027 provisional budget and future planning.”

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.