Italy loveslettuce. Each region has its own preferences, but butterhead is still the favouriteby far. Indoor cultivationin Italy mainly means the use of tunnel greenhouses and Battipaglia in the province of Salerno is the maincultivation area. The companies here are large and specialized, producing bothfor fresh markets and for the processing industry. Much produce finds its wayto Italian supermarkets, but an increasing share is intended for export, Germanyin particular.
Batavia and Cos
Butterhead may be popular, but in Northern Italy they know how to grow a decent Summercrisp, also called Batavian or French Crisp, for local markets. The variety is slowly catching on in Central and Southern Italy. The preference in these parts, however, is still aimed at cos. This type (known in Italy as lattuga romana) is mainly grown in greenhouses in Fondi for customers in Rome and Battipaglia. A lot of it goes to the Neapolitan market and to export. Cassiopea RZ is still the main variety for the Winter, but growers and traders look forward to newcomers 41-157 RZ and 41-127 RZ. Other crops, such as oak, red batavia, iceberg and Lollo's are grown on a limited scale, especially in Battipaglia.
Source:
Rijk Zwaan
www.rijkzwaan.nl