La Denominación de Origen (DO) Queso Manchego presented its new promotional campaign on Thursday at the livestock and agriculture fair Expovicaman in Albacete. This campaign builds on the record-breaking figures achieved in the last production season, with 17.3 million kilos of cheese and 96.5 million liters of milk contributing 277 million euros to the regional economy, as detailed by the Minister of Agriculture, Julián Martínez Lizán.
The President of the Regulatory Council of the DO Queso Manchego, Antonio Martínez, explained that this fourth national promotional campaign, titled ‘The flavor of an immortal story’ and set to run until 2025, will focus heavily on digital promotion on social networks like Instagram and platforms like Youtube, aiming to generate 250 million impacts. They also plan to expand the campaign to Germany and the United States in the future.
Martínez mentioned the challenges faced by the cheese industry in the past year, such as the storage issues from last summer due to price increases, the appearance of counterfeit cheeses claiming the DO label, and tariff threats. Despite these challenges, Martínez believes that the sector has successfully navigated them thanks to the efforts of farmers and producers who have turned Queso Manchego into «a product that drives national exports.»
The Minister of Agriculture emphasized the value of Queso Manchego, which accounts for 88 percent of all Spanish cheese exports with a designation of origin to foreign markets. Lizán highlighted the significant activity in both rural and urban areas, with job creation and population stability. To continue developing this product, Lizán stressed the importance of supporting Manchega sheep and primary production to strengthen consumption through innovative strategies like this new campaign using social media.
Since 2015, the government has allocated around 4.5 million euros to promote the DO Queso Manchego, considering it a fundamental element of the region that supports sectors like extensive livestock farming.
The Mayor of Albacete, Manuel Serrano, who also participated in the campaign presentation, emphasized the work behind the designation of origin, which gives identity to the region through the universal product of Queso Manchego. He also highlighted the significance of the livestock and agriculture fair in Albacete, an event with over 700 years of tradition in the city that has returned this year to the heart of the city in the fairgrounds.
Serrano also offered words of encouragement to all the farmers affected by the recent hailstorms in the province.