Murgia: High-Quality Dairy Products From The High Plain

The Murge Plateau
The Murge Plateau extends from central Apulia into the province of Matera, Basilicata. The area is famous for the iconic trulli, the white conical-roofed houses, the extra-virgin olive oil, the Ferrovia cherries and, last but not least, the high-quality milk and dairy products. The town of Putignano, in the province of Bari, is the capital of the Bruna cow breed, whose milk is extraordinarily protein-rich. The jewels in the crown of the Murge are the fiordilatte mozzarella, trecce (braided mozzarella) and nodini (knot-shaped mozzarella).

The Agricultural Cooperative of Putignano
The Cooperativa Allevatori Putignano (CAP Agricultural Cooperative of Putignano) consists of 320 farmers operating in Murgese part of the metropolitan city of Bari and the province of Taranto. The farmers in the cooperative supply not only the milk, but also the cereals and the legumes for the fodder. One of the strong points of the Cooperative is the attentive care for the cattle, which are grown in the semi-wild and whose milk is richer in polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega-3, tryptophan essential amino acid and vitamins. The animals in the CAP farms are treated to carefully selected fodder, with no chemicals or hazardous substances. Nowadays, the cooperative’s milk production exceeds 32m litres per year, obtained from 8,000 cattle head of the Bruna and Frisian breeds.

Fresh milk and dairy products branded Prodotti di Qualità Puglia
The quality of the milk is extraordinarily high because of the quality of farming. The policy strictly prohibits the use of fodder that may alter the organoleptic properties of the milk and dairy products. The cooperative is extremely careful to prevent the accidental use of milk batches, which may not be compliant with the current food standards. The Cooperative opens and closes the supply chain, monitoring milk production, product sale and every stage in between. The cooperative’s outlet is open seven days a week, selling the freshest fiordilatte mozzarellas, ricottas, scamorzas, burratas, as well as Caciocavallo Silano DOP and other types of fresh cheeses, such as Primavera and Vittoria. The high quality standards attained have allowed the Cooperative to brand the entirety of its production with the Prodotti Qualità di Puglia (Apulian Quality) seal.