The Councillor for Economy and General Services of Menorca, Maria Antònia Taltavull, and the president of the Regulatory Council of the Protected Designation of Origin Mahón-Menorca Cheese, Joan Bosco Triay, together with the manager of the PDO, Piedad López, have presented the production and marketing data of the product for the year 2024 and have taken stock of the current situation.
The 49 cheese dairies currently registered (43 of which are artisan) with the Regulatory Council of the Mahón-Menorca Protected Designation of Origin produced a total of 3,523,254 kilos of Mahón-Menorca cheese, of which 2,604,436 were marketed, 1.72% more than in 2023 and the highest figure in its history. ‘We are in a record year,’ explained Triay.
61% of total sales were of semi-cured cheese, 22% of cured cheese and the remaining 17% of soft cheese. This represented a value of some 24.7 million euros. There are currently 42 companies marketing the product.
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The Mahón-Menorca Cheese PDO markets 2.6 tonnes in 2024, the highest figure in its history
A total of 98 livestock farms are currently registered with the Regulatory Council for the Mahón-Menorca Cheese Designation of Origin, with milk production in 2024 of 39.6 million litres, of which 30 million litres (76%) will be used to make cheese with the PDO seal.
In Menorca, around 90% of the cultivated area is fodder and cereals for cattle feed. The breeds allowed to produce milk for the PDO are: Menorcan, Friesian and Alpine Brown. 5% of milk from sheep of the Menorcan breed is also allowed, although currently, in most cases, it is 100% cow’s milk.
In Menorca, 21% of the total is marketed, with 546,902 kilos, and in Mallorca and Ibiza, almost half of the 2.6 tonnes marketed are sold: 1,278,266, being the main attraction and differentiating factor of Mahón-Menorca cheese. In total, 70% of the cheese is marketed in the Balearic Islands. Catalonia accounts for 13.2% with 343,266 kilos and in the rest of Spain 9.4%, reaching 244,086 kg.
“From the Consell Insula,r we believe that any differentiated product with its personality always improves the possibilities for the development of the local economy and marketing circuits and allows local producers to survive in the current difficult commercial world. This is the case of the cheeses with the Protected Designation of Origin Mahón-Menorca Cheese, which is why I believe that we must insist on highlighting the value of the work of the farmers, which is very vocational and has been passed down from generation to generation, with constant effort,” said Taltavull. ‘We are firmly committed to the countryside and local producers, and we also want to stress the importance of the island’s restaurateurs in maintaining traditional recipes and local identity without ceasing to innovate and reinvent themselves,’ he added.
In terms of exports, Mahón-Menorca cheese is present in 44 countries and represents 7.37% of total sales. During 2024, 191,916 kilos were distributed, and the United States is the main exporter, by a wide margin. The United States receives 110,568 kilos of Menorcan PDO, which represents a high 57.61% of total exports. It is followed by the Dominican Republic with 31,696 kilos and 16.52% of the total and Germany with 10,098 kilos and 5.26%. In fourth and fifth place are the United Kingdom (9,892 kilos) and Mexico (6,232 kilos).
“Internationally, we are down a bit, but it has been compensated by domestic sales. Regarding tariffs in the United States, history has already shown us what will happen. An increase in the price of the product has an impact on marketing. We will try to promote the product so that the minimum is lost and we can even gain market share,” explained the president of the Regulatory Council of the DOP Mahón-Menorca Cheese PDO. “We have put a lot of effort into promotion at a national level, and it has been noticeable because we have grown by 17 per cent. For the first time we have incorporated Valencia,” added the PDO manager.
“On the part of the Consell Insular, we will give 100% support to the cheese companies and we will do our utmost to ensure that they are not harmed. We will look for solutions and we will not leave the sector to one side, especially considering that it is a leading product,” concluded the councillor of Economy and General Services of Menorca.