| Production Sectors and Clusters |
The Agro-food Cluster ("Distretto dell'Alimentare") is located in the central part of Friuli Venezia Giulia. Set up by the Regional Authority in March 2000 (it was previously denominated Ham Cluster.
Set up by the Regional Authority in March 2000 (it was previously denominated Ham Cluster), the Cluster covers the municipalities of San Daniele del Friuli, Coseano, Dignano, Ragogna, Fagagna, Rive d’Arcano and is made up of approximately 1,600 businesses.
Besides internationally recognised San Daniele raw ham, the District produces high quality types of cheese (as Montasio), sweet and baking products and organic food.
The Cluster companies are settled in piedmont flats, untouched from the environmental viewpoint. The favourable position becomes value added for the products coming from this area. Businesses focus on environmental sustainability and commit themselves to having environment-compatible production programmes.
The process of ham production is the Cluster driving element. 26 companies produce ham, 7 of which are handicraft activities, while the remaining 19 are industrial firms. They produce an overall amount of 2 million hams per year and 20% of these are sold abroad.
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San Daniele HamSan Daniele ham is the leading product of the District, as it is present and well known all over the world. Documents proving the existence of San Daniele ham date back to the Early Middle Ages, but it is a well-known fact that it originated during the Celtic Age, as the Celts were the first to use salt to preserve pork meat. At the end of the 1940s, ham production sites acquired an industrial connotation and became structured and nationally renowned realities.
The Consortium of San Daniele Ham (in the province of Udine) reports that in 2004 the production of the ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ Protected Designation of Origin grew by 7% compared to 2003. Also the sales, according to early results, record a positive trend, with an increase by 3% in the last three months.
