"Everything is ready for the bell pepper and zucchini campaign in Palma di Montechiaro in Sicily where the weather was excellent this year," reports Antonio Morreale, administrator of Coop. Agricola Bio Hortus.
Antonio Morreale (at the center) with two collaborators: Lillo Vella (left) and Calogero Celona (right)
Zucchinis are harvested between October and May, while bell peppers are harvested from October to June. Last year, 535 tons of dark green zucchini were harvested (80% of the total) as well as 100 tons of light green zucchini and 80 tons of bell peppers. Together with artichokes, these products constitute the company's core business.
"The market, domestic and foreign retail chains, in particular, are requiring more and more guarantees to safeguard final consumers. We share their goal and grow our produce respecting natural resources using useful insects to limit the use of pesticides. This is why our products have near-zero residue."
"The produce is looking excellent and our markets of destination are mainly Italian but there are also a few foreign countries (around 15% of the total) including the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. We are aiming at growing our foreign commercialization as we have the facilities and logistics base to meet all kinds of needs. We can harvest, process, refrigerate and ship our productions in one single day."
Bio Hortus, in fact, boasts packaging facilities in line with Community laws and international standards that pay the utmost attention to hygiene and food security.
"We managed to grow over the years thanks to the high-quality of our productions, our punctuality and the respect for our partners. We trust our partners, who follow our standards strictly. The great feedback from our clients rewards our work and helps us grow."
Cooperativa Agricola Bio Hortus holds the GlobalGAP and GRASP certifications.
Contacts::
Bio Hortus Società Coop. Agricola 
Contrada Senia Albanazzi Snc
92020 Palma di Montechiaro (AG)
Tel.: +39 0922963737
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.biohortusag.com