In 2024, Grana Padano Dop exports exceeded sales on the domestic market, reaching 52% of the total production marketed with 2,685,541 forms and an increase of 9.15% compared to the previous year. Lombardy contributed most to this result, with over 4 million forms produced, approximately 72% of the total, with Cremona as the third province for production, rising to over 938 thousand forms processed in its nine dairies, with the highest average per company.

This is a historic milestone that the Grana Padano supply chain is celebrating in the shadow of the Torrazzo and together with enthusiasts of cheesemaking tradition and culture with “Formaggi & Sorrisi – Cheese and Friends Festival”, from 28 to 30 March, an unmissable event organised in collaboration with the Lombardy Region.

"The entrepreneurial capacity of the Grana Padano supply chain in Lombardy and Cremona is a model and "Formaggi & Sorrisi" confirms itself as a strong and precise cultural signal: producing in a sustainable way, giving back to the territory wealth, values, examples and smiles, the peculiarities of know-how", stated Renato Zaghini , president of the Consorzio Tutela Grana Padano, presenting the event at the press conference at the headquarters of the Region in Milan. "Now this wealth of products, entrepreneurs, and workers involved must be protected through diplomacy, but with firmness and clear objectives. We are still under the threat of duties waved every other day by the United States, the third world market for Grana Padano with 215,000 wheels exported, where our wheels have entered the food and taste culture. Imposing them would therefore be an incomprehensible disaster, because it would damage American consumers above all and a serious blow to our exports, for which we aim to grow on other markets".

“Formaggi e Sorrisi” will bring events and exhibitors to the historic heart of Cremona, welcomed by Grana Padano Dop, promoter of the event together with Provolone Valpadana op, renewing a collaboration aimed at promoting the territory with its beauties. The mascots Granì and his companion Provolì will welcome visitors among flavors and aromas with various workshops and tastings. The little ones will also be able to make friends with the educational cow to discover the path of Grana Padano, while mums, dads and all the most curious adults will be awaited by tastings combined with other products of the territory to learn about the many faces of Grana Padano.

Guest of the fifth edition of “Formaggi & Sorrisi” is food influencer Daniele Reponi , who will create two of his famous sandwiches using the PDO cheeses that inspired the three days, Grana Padano and Provolone Valpadana.