Browse Data and Analysis

This report gives an overview of the food service – hotel, restaurant, and institutional sectors in Italy and outlines current market trends, including best product prospects.

Beef production in 2024 is projected at 3.12 million tons carcass weight equivalent (CWE), down marginally from 2023, a year with high slaughter levels because of a severe drought.

For marketing year (MY) 2022/23, Post revises fresh lemon production estimates to 1.65 million metric tons (MMT), down 6.5 percent from the official USDA estimate due to continued adverse weather and poor economic conditions, especially for smaller producers.

Bioethanol consumption in 2023 is forecast at 1.17 billion liters, the highest on record, because of strong gasoline demand and a high blend rate.

Improved weather forecasts are expected to lead to recoveries in grain production in Argentina. However, continued dry conditions are projected to limit planting of wheat and rice.

Post estimates MY 2022/2023 soybean production at 21.25 million metric tons (MMT), 3.75 MMT below the official USDA estimate on lower than expected yields.

This report gives an overview of the Italian food retail and distribution sectors and outlines current market trends, including best product prospects.

Post projects Marketing Year (MY) 2023/24 sugarcane production to drop to 18.9 million metric tons (MMT) due to dry weather and high heat during the southern hemisphere summer.

In January 2017, hemp cultivation became legal pursuant to Italian law No. 242/2016 promoting hemp cultivation and its industrial uses, leading to a sector revival, with more than 800 farms cultivating 4,000 hectares (ha).

Post estimates Argentine wheat production to rebound to 19.5 million metric tons (MMT) in marketing year (MY) 2023/24, resulting in wheat exports of 13.7 MMT (including wheat flour as its wheat equivalent).

Post lowers its 2022/2023 estimate for Argentine soybean production to 23.9 million metric tons (MMT). This production estimate is the lowest in 24 year and the yield estimate is the lowest in almost 50 years. As a result of the drought, Post estimates that Argentina will need to import a record 11 MMT of soybeans to achieve a crush of 29.5 MMT.

According to the latest data released by the National Association of the Canned Vegetables Industry (Anicav), Italy is the third largest processed tomato producer in the world (behind the United States and China), representing approximately 14.8 percent of the global production and 56.5 percent of Europe’s production, with revenue of nearly $5.4 billion in 2022.