Italy’s farm output decline deepens dependence on wheat, corn and olive oil imports
Italian production of corn, wheat, pears, peaches and olive oil declined between 2006 and 2025, according to Istat data reported by La Discussione. Import volumes now exceed domestic output for wheat and corn, while olive oil imports are roughly one and a half times national production.
Grain acreage contracts as import demand rises
Italy’s agricultural base has shifted substantially over two decades, reducing domestic supplies of several crops central to its food and feed industries. Istat’s Focus on agricultural and livestock production in 2025, reported by La Discussione, compares conditions in 2006 and 2025. The data show sharp contractions in corn, wheat, pears, peaches and olive oil, alongside gains in soybeans, forage crops, apples, kiwifruit and clementines.
Corn recorded one of the largest declines. Its planted area fell by 51.2% between 2006 and 2025, while production dropped by 42.7%. Yield increased by 17.4%, from 86.8 to 101.9 quintals per hectare, suggesting that cultivation became concentrated in more productive areas and technically more efficient. The yield improvement was not enough to offset the loss of acreage. Italy produced almost 96 million quintals of corn and imported less than 20 million in 2006. By 2025, production was below 55 million quintals and imports had risen to 70 million, about four times the 2006 volume and above domestic output.
Wheat processors rely increasingly on foreign supply
Durum wheat still occupied more than 1.1 million hectares in 2025, but its area was 15.5% lower than in 2006 and production was down 9.3%. A 7.4% increase in yield limited the decline. The situation was weaker for common wheat: production fell by 21.4%, planted area contracted by 12.3% and yield declined by 10.4%.
These changes have altered the supply balance for millers, pasta producers and other processors. Wheat imports reached approximately 97 million quintals in 2025, compared with domestic production of about 59.5 million. Foreign purchases have exceeded Italian output every year since 2014, and the gap has widened since 2022. Greater dependence on imported grain leaves buyers more exposed to international availability, freight costs and price movements, even as Italy retains a leading European position in durum wheat.
Fruit and olive oil show uneven performance
Production declined in 11 of the 14 main fruit species examined by Istat. Pear output fell by 60.6% and cultivated area by 52.8%. Nectarine production decreased by 43.5%, peach output by 31.9% and hazelnut production by 30.3%. Clementines, kiwifruit and apples moved in the opposite direction, increasing production by 20.3%, 17.8% and 13.2%, respectively. Apple acreage declined by 10.6%, but a 26.7% rise in yield more than compensated for the smaller area.
Wine output proved comparatively resilient, slipping by 3.6% from 49.6 million hectolitres in 2006 to 47.8 million in 2025. Olive oil production fell much more sharply, dropping by 37.6% from 603.3 million litres to 378.6 million. In 2025, Italy exported 298 million litres from national production of approximately 379 million and allocated 81 million litres to its domestic market. Imports reached 565 million litres, around one and a half times total national production and seven times the volume of domestic output not exported. The figures point to an industry that combines strong export positioning for Italian-origin oil with extensive reliance on imported supply for consumption and processing.
Italy retains major EU positions despite contraction
The decline is not uniform across agriculture. Soybean output nearly doubled, rising by 94.6%, while planted area increased by 69.1%. Production of single-species forage crops rose by 97.1%, silage corn by 46% and legumes by 34.7%. Italy also remained a major EU producer in 2025, accounting for 75.2% of EU hazelnut output, 52.8% of rice, 43.2% of durum wheat, 42.1% of open-field tomatoes and 37.9% of soybeans.
Livestock trends add another dimension to food-sector resilience. Cattle numbers fell from 6.1 million in 2006 to 5.4 million in 2025, while sheep declined by 28.1% and pigs by 15.6%. Poultry slaughter increased, however, and milk collection rose by 27.2% to 138.4 million quintals in 2024, the latest available year. Cheese production increased by 17.7%. Italy therefore remains a large and diversified agricultural producer, but processors and consumers are increasingly dependent on foreign supplies in several strategically important categories.
