La Marchesa Societa' Cooperativa Agricola

The La Marchesa agricultural co-operative was established in 1981 under the direction of the Cirillo family, who had been in the fresh produce business for many years as managers of the La Cirillo co-operative, which was among the pioneers in the production of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana (Buffalo Mozzarella from the Campania region). In the first few years of existence, supplies came mainly from artisan producers and sales were aimed at the local market. In the years that followed, the organization pushed towards the northern Italian market and the large-scale distribution sector, and it began a lengthy phase of changes that are still ongoing, to move from a mainly artisanal type of production to industrial production with the use of technologically advanced equipment. The turning point came in 1994, with entry into the Consorzio per la Tutela del formaggio Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP, the Consortium for the Protection of Buffalo Mozzarella from the Campania region with PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) status. From that moment the organization had to ensure compliance with very high standards of quality and continue to undergo strict controls in order to maintain DOP product certification. Thanks to a production plant that extends over an area of around 2,000 sq metres, the organization processes 7,000 tonnes of buffalo’s milk each year. This originates from DOP areas, and is for the most part supplied by members of the co-operative. The production of buffalo mozzarella in 2006 reached 1,500 tonnes.