Parmigiano makers get relief from sales of damaged wheels

One million euros has been raised in support of parmigiano-reggiano cheese manufacturers crippled by recent earthquakes in the northern Emilia Romagna region, the local parmigiano-reggiano consortium said on Tuesday. The takings - the result of ethical purchasing initiatives and discount sales of damaged cheese forms - will help mitigate the over 100 million euros in damage suffered by the sector as a result of the quakes in the region on 20 and 29 May, which toppled roughly 600,000 wheels of ageing parmigiano, damaged 37 dairies and 600 farms in the provinces of Modena, Reggio Emilia, Mantova and Bologna. The damaged cheese wheels underwent careful inspection before being put on the market and 15,000 were discarded as waste, the consortium said. Dairies in the production area have raised a further 9 million euros in special donations.