The Orto Serre Commercial Farm specialises in cherry tomato cultivation for bunch harvesting since 1999. Located in San Nicola di Melfi (Basilicata), the farm spreads out over 60,000 sq m, 30,000 sq m of which are protected.
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A photo report of the greenhouses, where high-tech machinery and equipment enable the control of climate and plant nutrition follows...Orto Serre uses a soil-less hydroponic technology and cultivation is carried out on an alternative substratum made of mineral wool.
Currently, the production cycle of cherry tomatoes starts in March with transplants, harvesting starts 60 days later and is carried out weekly until the Winter season.
The production cycle is managed following integrated biological control criteria, and pollination is natural, with bumblebee hives which improve the quality and the genuineness of fruits. In fact, tomatoes pollinated by bumblebees are not treated with hormones and can be easily recognised because of the seeds.
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Orto Serre, which has been awarded the GlobalGAP certification in 2003, is relying on a single high-quality cherry tomato variety - Juanita F1 of De Ruiter-Monsanto. As owner Antonio Della Spina (in the photo below), who runs the farm together with brother Giuseppe, says, "at the moment, we are the main producers of this variety in Italy, with 100,000 plants a year. We have carried out transplants on Maxifort rootstocks on 15th March and production will go on until mid-November."
A high-end market
The whole production, which is destined to a high-end market, is currently bought by a Dutch specialist who sells cherry tomatoes the whole year round thanks to the produce from Orto Serre and two other cultivators from Spain and the Netherlands.
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"We supply tomato bunches in crates ready for shipping, then the client re-packages the produce in deluxe packets to sell it at really high prices. And people buy it! Juanita is in fact one of the best cherry tomato variety that I have ever cultivated: gorgeous to look at and with an exceptional taste!"
The colour is bright red, with grades between 28 and 32 millimetres and a charming heart shape. A premium quality for which though there seem to be no buyers in Italy. "I would like to start collaborating with someone who, from June to October, is interested in high-quality tomatoes. We can produce 550 to 600 tons per year."
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Antonio is aware that the price of the product could be an obstacle: "I put myself in the buyers' shoes and I wonder if it's worth buying a cheaper product and then having unsold produce and waste - and, therefore, higher final prices - or if it is better to play it safe with a product that consumers like. I'm especially addressing those who advise us to cultivate high-quality products. We do, but the only ones that take advantage of it are the foreign markets!"
Contacts:
Antonio Della Spina
Orto Serre
Zona Industriale
85025, San Nicola di Melfi (PZ)
Tel. e Fax: +39 0972 78081
Mob.: +39 335 1320777
Email1: [email protected]
Email2: [email protected]
Web: www.ortoserre.it