"Oftentimes, buyers from Italian and European supermarkets request more strawberries, but the supply can hardly meet the demand. Such commercial situations have been also happening in recent weeks. It is necessary for the players in Southern Italy's strawberry farming to better organize the supply, especially since we will see a gradual increase in production, but without reaching high production peaks, at least this year," says Pasquale Casalnuovo, partner at Compagnia delle Primizie, an agricultural cooperative in Basilicata (Southern Italy) that is also associated with OP Terre della Luce, which ships strawberries and berries to the national and European market. In his comment, the producer very positively takes stock of the first 3 months of the 2024 strawberry campaign both in terms of marketed volumes and for the average charged prices. At the same time, he points out that better results could be achieved if the few volumes available were distributed more effectively.
"From the supermarket chains, we notice a strong interest in strawberries, but most of the product is still channeled through traditional markets. This results in a general depreciation of the goods, which, however, does not match retail prices."
Casalnuovo differentiates foreign demand from domestic demand. The best results and the most rewarding prices are obtained particularly in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. "On the Italian national market, consumption so far has not been very bright. The volumes of strawberries on the internal markets have decreased in the winter period, both because many companies have focused on medium-late cultivars and because there has been a decrease in production due to several factors that are limiting the processed volumes. For example: the establishment of sustainable production techniques that are more environmentally friendly at the expense of volumes, in addition to fluctuating weather conditions, with days of extreme heat, thermal shocks, and high humidity. Also, the import of strawberries from other countries in the Mediterranean basin was significantly lower than in the past."
Pasquale Casalnuovo
Currently, Compagnia delle Primizie ships 50-80 pallets of strawberries daily, capitalizing on the complementarity of two cultivars: NSG 203 – Marimbella® and NSG 465 – Rossetta®. "For us, the campaign started very early, in mid-November, thanks to rooted cuttings that guarantee production in the winter months. Until the end of March, the average selling prices marked a +30% compared to previous campaigns. So far, the campaign has been satisfying, and now we also receive encouraging feedback from abroad."
For more information:
O.P. Terre della Luce Soc. Coop. Agricola
Viale Salerno, 13/15
75025 Policoro (MT) - Italy
Tel.: +39 0835 1852977
info@terredellaluce.it
terredellaluce.it