Buffalo Production, Green Light to Total Traceability and Transparency

The Regional Executive Board approved the resolution on transparency for the buffalo sector envisaging an extension to all the buffalo dairy sector workers of the request to join a traceability system through the use of a specific IT experimental platform on traceability of regional food and agricultural products used by Regione Campania.

On the other hand, the buffalo product sector is a pride for regional traditional productions. This sector in Campania involves more than 279 thousand buffaloes, equal to 74% of the national total number, bred in almost 1,500 companies. Moreover, only in 2012, Campania produced 37 million Kilos of Campania DOP buffalo mozzarella for a total turnover of more than 315 million Euros.

In order to ensure the monitoring of the sector and a constant cooperation, last February a technical expert session was held with the attendance of agricultural professional organizations, Confindustria, Confartigianato, CNA and the Protection Consortium of Campania DOP Buffalo Mozzarella. The experts emphasized the importance of the adoption of a traceability system unanimously acknowledged as a tool able to protect consumers against frauds and to ensure transparency for the regional sector that will carry on working together with the structure.

Daniela Nugnes, Campania Regional Minister for Agriculture said: “Our aim is to protect consumers and to ensure a fair competition on the market in one of the most important sectors for regional economy”. “Since Campania is a region where almost the whole buffalo mozzarella is produced both DOP and not, we aimed at implementing a strong sector governance”.

We cannot forget that 7% and 1% of Campania DOP buffalo mozzarella is produced respectively in the lower Latium and in the area between Foggia and Venafro - she continued. Bearing this in mind, to ensure homogeneity in the traceability system I will ask Regional Ministers for Agriculture of Latium, Molise and Apulia to join our protocol through ad hoc agreements under the provisions of art. 15 of the Law no. 241 of 1990 (and following amendments and integrations) to make the whole DOP production system transparent and traced.

The Regional Minister added: “Moreover, I will ask the Minister for Agricultural Policy to amend current laws to extend to the whole national territory the duty for all the buffalo production workers to join a traceability system on the IT platform, and to allow those processing companies that will join an effective traceability system able to certify the origin of raw materials and use only milk suitable for the production of Campania DOP buffalo mozzarella to produce in the same plant different types of cheese or food”.

We are laying the foundations to ensure safety and transparency for consumers and to promote the buffalo sector which is doubtless a pride for our regional productions – Ms. Nugnes concluded.