"Over the past few years, it rained a lot near or during harvesting so quality was affected. The Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) situation has evolved. The market for open field productions destined to the processing industry was rather interesting."
Peppers destined for the processing industry
There was a gap for greenhouse productions in August due to the excessive heat in July. "Some producers from Campania and other areas had to deal with a 10-15% drop in yields. Open field productions made up for it as quality was good."
Greenhouse crop in Campania.
Open field crop in Foggia.
According to Orioli, prices held up due to the drop in cultivated areas which led to a lower supply. "Nonetheless, cultivated areas are stabilising, especially since pepper growers are highly specialised. These operators are aware of the high costs involved and are careful about agronomic and phytosanitary management.
"The red Pompeo and yellow Rialto varieties are the most popular on open fields while Balzac is increasingly popular for greenhouses, especially since quality and grades remained good despite the excessive heat."
The domestic fresh and processed produce market continues to demand Lamuyo. In addition, the Corno di Toro variety is getting more and more popular in Italy and a few foreign countries.
"As costs are high and the risk of disease is considerable, producers are careful. This means there will probably be a slight drop in cultivated areas with a higher concentration on specialised producers."
As domestic demand is not being met, Italy imports produce from Spain (Lamuyo and Blocky) and the Netherlands (Blocky).
Balzac peppers
For further information
Giovanni Antonio Orioli - pepper sales specialist
Cell.: +39 348 3955439
Email: giovanni.orioli@bayer.com