Italy first European country for PDO, PGI and TSG products the sectors with the highest number of recognitions are fruit and vegetables and cereals, cheese, the extra virgin olive oil and meat preparations

Italy first European country for PDO, PGI and TSG products
the sectors with the highest number of recognitions are fruit and vegetables and cereals, cheese, the extra virgin olive oil and meat preparations

by S. C.

The National Institute for Statistics declares in a press release that Italy is the first country in Europe for number of recognitions: the number of PDO , PGI and STG products approved on 31 December 2011 is 239 (20 more than in 2010).
The sectors with the highest number of recognitions are fruit and vegetables and cereals (94 products), cheese (43), the extra virgin olive oil (42) and meat preparations (36). Fresh meat and other sectors have, respectively, 3 and 21 products.
In 2011, certified operators are 84,148, a decrease of 0.5% compared to 2010. Of these, 91.9% carry out exclusively production activities, 5.9% only processing and the remaining 2.2% both.
The producers (-0.4% compared to 2010) are more numerous in the cheese (31,116) of extra virgin olive oil (20 278), and of fruit and vegetables and cereals (16,621) sectors.
Transformers (+4% compared to 2010) are more numerous in the virgin olive oils (1,855), cheese (1,663) and fruit and vegetables and cereals (1,092) sectors.
Among the owners of these companies prevails the male component: in fact, 79.9% of the producers and 85, 3% of the processors are men. 28% of producers is located in the mountains.
At the regional level continues the progressive strengthening of quality products in the southern regions, while operators and production facilities prove to be historically rooted mainly in the north part of the country.