Since joining the European Union in 2004, the country has steadily increased its cheese and curd production, and exports have skyrocketed by 8.5 times during this period, according to Marcin Wroński, deputy director-general of the National Centre for Agricultural Support.
Output is dominated by curd cheeses (52 percent), followed by ripening rennet cheeses (39 percent), and processed cheeses (8 percent).
A noteworthy trend is the expansion of the product range, particularly in ripening rennet cheeses and curd cheeses, which have seen significant growth. In 2022, these cheeses accounted for 17.6 percent of the dairy industry's sold production value, totaling PLN 9.1 billion.
The origins of cheese production in Poland date back to the mid-19th century, beginning in Wieprz near Żywiec in the south of the country, where the first industrial cheese factory was established.
Poland is now the fourth-largest cheese producer in the EU, trailing Germany (2.3 million tons), France (1.9 million tons), and Italy (1.4 million tons), and ranks fifth globally, with the United States leading at approximately 6.2 million tons.
The main markets for Poland's ripening rennet cheeses are other EU countries, with significant exports to the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, and Slovakia. Major non-EU buyers include Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom.
Fresh, whey and curd cheeses are also popular, with export volumes increasing more than eightfold from 2004 to 2022.
Experts predict that the upward export trend will continue in the years ahead, with data showing a 3-percent increase in exports of fresh, whey, and curd cheeses in the first eight months of this year compared to the previous year.
The majority of these exports went to EU countries, particularly Germany, Romania, Italy, and the Czech Republic, with non-EU exports mainly to the UK and Ukraine.
Poland also boasts traditional regional cheeses. One of the oldest is bryndza, made from unpasteurized sheep's milk, with a tradition dating back to the 16th century, while the production of koryciński cheese dates back to the 18th century.
Efforts are under way to include these unique regional products on the national List of Traditional Products, which currently features over 2,000 items, including 130 dairy products.
The EU Register of Regional and Traditional Products lists 46 Polish agricultural products, including six traditional Polish cheeses.
Popular Polish cheeses include bryndza podhalańska, oscypek, redykołka, wielkopolski fried cheese, and ser koryciński swojski.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP