The largest malt house in Italy from 2023 will be branded K-Adriatica, a company active for over 50 years in the sectors of fertilizer production and beer malt with plants in Loreo, Melfi and Vukovar (Croatia), and a 2020 turnover of € 113.5 million.

The project of the subsidiary Italmalt, presented today in the Municipality of Loreo (RO), aims to develop the production of malt from Italian beer to guarantee 60% of the national requirement, equal to 208 thousand tons, which today is covered at 40%. Of this share, over 40% (36 thousand tons) is produced by Italmalt in the Melfi plant.

K-Adriatica will invest around 25 million euros, of which around 22.6 million euros will go to the technological systems and 2.4 million euros for the production plant. Investments for the related industries are estimated to be up to 10 million euros. The plant will only use electricity from cogeneration with the use of 100% of the heat. A 35% reduction in water consumption is expected. The production will be highly automated, linked to an integrated storage system and will make it possible to employ, directly and indirectly, over 100 people.

"Our goal is to be ready for the barley harvest in June 2023. With the new project - explains Giovanni Toffoli, CEO of K-Adriatica, - we plan to further develop the 100% Made in Italy beer market, increasing production. of malt for beer to cover 60% of the national market by reducing imports, which today amount to about 125 thousand tons. Through supply chain contracts, which will involve about 800 agricultural companies in Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Emilia-Romagna and Marche, K-Adriatica will produce about 92 thousand tons of beer barley in 20 thousand cultivated hectares, divided into 42 thousand tons of barley in Melfi and 50 thousand tons of barley in Loreo. The production of Italian barley for the beer supply chain is an opportunity for agriculture also with the recovery and productive and economic redevelopment of agricultural areas in marginal bands. The Loreo plant will represent a development pole for the Polesine and will see Veneto as the reference Region for the North East beer pole”.

According to AssoBirra's 2020 Annual Report, national beer production stood at 15,829,000 hectoliters, down 8.4% compared to 2019 (when it reached 17,288,000 hectoliters) and consumption - affected by the restrictions imposed away from home - marked a decrease of 11.4% (18,784,000 hectoliters compared to a 2019 that had exceeded the quota of 21 million hectoliters). Even exports, after years of growth, suffered a decline - albeit more modest - of 4.8% with export volumes of 3.3 million hectoliters, reconfirming however significant in countries with a strong beer tradition, demonstrating the quality of Italian beer. Among the main importing countries are the United Kingdom (47.3%), the USA (7.3%) and Australia (7%). On the other hand, there was a decrease in imports of 15%. According to AssoBirra, in 2020, beer was the most consumed drink by Italians. In this context, beer remains an important asset for Italy. The numbers testify to this: the brewing sector in 2020 has about 900 companies and over 115,000 employees along the entire chain from agricultural businesses to consumption points.