Italy's "king of cheese" in crisis plea on prices

By Deepa Babington ROME (Reuters Life!) - Producers of "Parmigiano Reggiano," the prized Italian Parmesan cheese grated over pasta or eaten in chunks, are pleading with the government to declare a state of crisis due to falling prices and soaring costs. The price of the so-called "King of Cheese" has slid for four years in a row while the cost of raw materials like milk and energy has shot up, leaving 30 percent of producers on the verge of bankruptcy, says farm industry group CIA. Comparing their woes to those of national airline Alitalia -- which the government rescued by rewriting bankruptcy law -- Parmesan producers want Rome to intervene to raise prices. "The wholesale price of Parmiggiano Reggiano has now fallen below the cost of producing it," said Giorgio Apostoli of farmers group Coldiretti. "This is a prized... [read full story]