The Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Naxos has decided to invest €400,000 in a new cheese factory. The investment in facilities and mechanical equipment will meet the productive needs of the Union, which are expected to increase thanks to the recent registration of “Arseniko Naxou” cheese as a PDO product. The investment is expected to be completed in 2021 at the very latest.
An additional benefit of the designation of Arseniko Naxou as PDO product is the increase in the price of the producer. “Until now, Arseniko cheese was produced by pasteurized milk and from now on will be produced from non-pasteurized milk,” explains Mr Dimitris Kapounis, President of the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Naxos. “This means that the price of the raw material will increase up to 0.10 euro.
And although the first product will be launched primarily in Greece, international markets will follow. In fact, sales in 2019 are calculated to reach a 3% growth, while the Union’s annual turnover, which produces and markets Naxos graviera (gruyere), potatoes, meat, milk and yogurt, is estimated at approximately €20 million. The Union’s products are present in international markets, with France and Germany being the two major export destinations, while the Union recently became active in the US as well.
