2005: a new export record for Prosciutto di Parma +8.2%: 135,000 more hams than 2004

29.03.06

Parma, 28 March 2006 - Year 2005 has been an exceptional one for Parma Ham exports.  An absolute record: the  Consortium companies leapt ahead on the international market; somewhat compensating for the increasing difficulty of product absorption by the domestic market.  More than 1.8 million Parma Hams, equal to more than 11,000 tons, reached the tables of foreign consumers in 2005, an increase of 8.2% compared to 2004 (+135,000 items). An astounding success that confirms Prosciutto di Parma as one of the most appreciated Italian products abroad. This increase concerns the traditional product (+65,000 items) as well as the pre-sliced product in trays (+70,000 items). This growth is evenly spread and recorded inr various markets: for countries outside of Europe, growth is due to an increasing interested in the traditional product, while in European countries pre-sliced product plays the leading role. Top market after Italy is France, where Consortium companies have sold around 420,000 hams. Germany is growing (+9.4%), in third place after the USA (+18.2%), which is recovering after last year's sharp drop.  Austria and Scandinavia are stable, while excellent results have been seen in Great Britain (+7.3%) and Holland (+20.7%) where sales over the last 5 years have more than doubled. Eastern European countries are also beginning to experience growth, both Russia and the new EU member countries, which although still absorbing limited volumes, together represent an interesting potential for Parma. Excellent results outside Europe too: in the  USA, Canada and Japan, increases near 20%, exports outside these three markets, however are still insignificant. . A small amount is absorbed by the Asian market, while Africa and Central/South America are still lagging behind.
65.4% of exports are still concentrated in the EU, another 6.2% in non-EU  European countries (especially Switzerland, Norway and Russia), while 28.4% reached non-European markets, although almost the entire amount is concentrated in the USA, Canada and Japan. As regards  the United States, top non-European market outside Europe, Prosciutto di Parma is about to participate in an important promotional project in the USA together with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The program is co-funded by the European Commission for a total of 4 million euro.  The project will include an intensive press campaign targeted at both trade and consumers, to provide technical information to operators within the sector and to inform the public about the quality of both Prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano-Reggiano.  In addition, updated information will be available at sales outlets to strengthen the campaign message, as this is where the consumer is more open and willing to receive information. The two consortiums will also jointly attend the most important American trade fair within the sector: the Fancy Food Exhibition in New York at the beginning of the summer.  Lessons will also be given to students from cooking schools and  to foodservice trainees to communicate the products' characteristics as well as treatment and preservation methods. The same outline will be followed for retail, by creating a kit containing a video and a guide, which will be sent out to distributors and specialized shops.
"We are very satisfied with the international market results" said Stefano Tedeschi, president of the Parma Ham Consortium.  The Consortium's primary objective is to re-launch a segment that is currently suffering as a result of the general food sector crisis.
Export is one of the cornerstones of a re-launch strategy centered around quality that our Board of Directors recently set up in order to improve Parma Ham's penetration throughout the world".  

Fabrizio Raimondi
Press Office
Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma
0521 243987 - 335 389848

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