In 2018, Agribologna conducted a survey involving 17 vegetable producers, for a total of 485 hectares, in order to analyse the production cost of 7 crop varieties. On the 24th of January 2019, Agribologna showed the results at the Agrarian Department in the Bologna University. The title of the survey and the conference was 'A fair price for horticulture', and the latter ended with a discussion between MMRs' spokespersons.
Lauro Guidi, president of Agribologna
Marco Candini and Giorgia Morara of Agribologna illustrated the data: 59% of the companies work only thanks to labourers, while the typical family companies are only 6%. The remaining rely on a generational change, but at the same time resort to external labourers. Only 7% of employees are Italians, while the others come from abroad.
Patrizio Roversi
The president of Agribologna Lauro Guidi welcomed the audience, while Patrizio Roversi (an Italian TV personality) was the moderator.
Guidi claimed "We count 130 partners in 7 regions, for a total of 3.200 farmed hectares, the 75% of which devoted to vegetables while the 25% to fruits. Last year, we harvested 75.000 tons of produce, the half of which was marketed through the MMR".
The audience
7 were the analysed crops: cucumber, lettuce (Gentile, Romana, Trocadero), aubergine and courgette (pale and dark).
For each of the classified products, they analysed all the farming operations, especially focusing on the harvesting, selection, cleaning and packaging processes.
Candini and Morara said, "We crossed the production cost data with the average purchasing prices data, and we found out that prices must take into account every variable. Otherwise, it can jeopardise the companies' competitivity and the uniqueness of local productions".
Marco Candini
For example, the production cost of a cucumber is of 0.81 euros/kg. However, it is sold for 0.66 euros/kg in the Bologna, Padova, Milan and Rimini markets.
Giorgia Morara
For the pale courgette, the production cost was equal to the market price, while the aubergine's price was around 0.9 euros/kg at the production and 0.66 euros/kg in the markets. The Gentile lettuce's production cost was just covered by the market prices (0.9-1 euros/kg).
Luigi Vannini
During his introductory intervention, Luigi Vannini of the Bologna University pointed out two hopeful and positive prospects: the first is the new agricultural revolution we are witnessing nowadays which is made possible by technology, and the second is the cruise ship catering sector, which, in 2019, will involve 30 millions of tourists that want to eat good and healthy food.
The 'Questo l'ho fatto io' (I made this) brand is a special product line by Agribologna
Info:
Consorzio Agribologna S.c.a.
Via delle Viti, 5
40127 Bologna (BO) - Italia
Tel.: (+39) 051 994 1200
Fax: (+39) 051 994 1220
Email: info@agribologna.it
Web: www.agribologna.it