The Italian agri-food sector is experiencing a phase of great growth on foreign markets. This is confirmed by the data from the Monitor on agri-food districts presented by Intesa Sanpaolo, which shows record growth in exports also in the first quarter of this year, despite the fact that the final part of that period had already been affected by the Covid-19 crisis. However, it must be said that the agri-food sector was immediately considered an essential activity and that the emergency has changed the consumption habits of people, who have preferred consumption in the home, starting right from food, with hoarding effect that we all remember. The result is that after the record of 2019, when exports have achieved the monstrous figure of over 43 billion euros (+3,7% compared to the previous year) and the agri-food districts did even better (19 billion euros of sales abroad, +4,4%), 2020 got off to an even better start.
In the first quarter of 2020, in fact, the agri-food districts achieved a total of 5,1 billion in exports, the best winter quarter ever, corresponding to +9,3% compared to the same period of 2019 (+8,1% growth of the Italian agro-food sector). All while the non-agri-food districts, penalized by the health emergency, are set back by around 10 percentage points. Prospects are good for the rest of the year as well, given above all that the Made in Italy agri-food sector, with a few exceptions, he was "pardoned" by Donald Trump's tariffs and therefore that the USA could still be one of the main outlet markets. The growth of exports to the United States in the first quarter of this year was +9%, mainly driven by wines which account for more than half of exports.
The first trading partner was confirmed to be Germany, which grew by 11,5%, especially in the sector of agricultural products, which account for a third of the total. Exports to France increased by more than 20%. As for products, the Intesa Sanpaolo District Monitor shows that the wine supply chain maintains the primacy of exports in the first three months of 2020, with over 1,3 billion euros (+6,1% yoy). But it is the pasta and sweets supply chain that makes the greatest contribution to growth in the period, reaching over one billion euros, with an increase of 27,6% compared to the same period
of last year. The meat and cured meats (+10,1% yoy) and rice (+12,3%) supply chains also boast gratifying results in the first quarter of 2020, benefiting from the increase in domestic consumption.
The canning (+5%) and dairy (+4,6%) chains also did very well in the first quarter; the balance was also positive for the oil supply chains (+3,6%) and for the agricultural districts (+1,8%), which had both closed 2019 with a negative result. The only supply chain in decline is that of fish products, due to the probable minor requests received from the ho.re.ca. (restaurants and hotels). Among the wines, the main sector, to report the boom of the western Sicily district, which closes with 40 million (+34%). In all, seven districts out of the ten analyzed show growth, and only three a regression: Trento wines and distillates, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wines, Bresciano wines and distillates.
As far as the pasta and sweets supply chain is concerned, the best performing this year, the Sweets of Alba and Cuneo are confirmed in first place, but the real exploit comes from the Coffee, confectionery and chocolate district of Turin, which nearly 60% growth in the quarter with over 200 million exports, 75 million more than in the first quarter of 2020.
