Millions in cheese revenue lost as protest hits Italy’s buffalo mozzarella output

Millions in cheese revenue lost as protest hits Italy’s buffalo mozzarella output

Truckers are blocking deliveries over the high cost of diesel amid the ongoing Iran war

A truckers’ protest in southern Italy has halted the production of the famed buffalo mozzarella, causing an estimated loss of €3 million (US$3.37 million) in just 24 hours as the milk cannot reach dairies in the Naples region and the finished cheese cannot reach customers, an official said.

The week-long strike by truck drivers over the high cost of diesel driven up by the Iran war has also blocked deliveries of other basic goods to supermarkets and left fuel pumps empty in much of southern Italy.

The government approved new tax breaks for truckers on Thursday, but it was too early to tell whether they were enough to end the protest.

The disruption is particularly damaging to buffalo mozzarella because the production of the protected cheese depends on a tightly timed supply chain.