Apo Sicila is a cooperative founded in 1996 and recognised as a PO pursuant to the EC regulation 1234/07. There are two processing centres, both in the Bagheria municipality, where the head offices are also located.
It coordinates the production and the commercialisation of fruit and vegetables produced by its members, using production specifications created by the technical staff.
Productions are compliant with a number of voluntary quality and certification standards, as requested by European mass retailing. Two new members have joined the consortium a couple of months ago: the Serradifalco Coop, specialised in the production of lemons for mass retailing (Conad) and the Santa Rosa Coop, specialised in the production of citrus with stems and leaves.
"At the moment, we are completing the tangerine production (late Ciaculli tangerine), we have almost finished the produce handed over by the associates, everything will be over in 10-15 days tops. As regards Primofiore lemons (femminello siracusano and white-flower lemons), the campaign is in full swing, but the situation is pretty heavy as prices are really low and consumption is not very good. Of course we are affected by the economic crisis as well as by foreign competition, especially from Spain, which has low prices and is therefore really aggressive."
Late tangerines.
50-60% of citrus fruit is destined to the national markets, and the remaining 40% is shipped abroad (France, Germany, Austria and Denmark). Prices abroad depend on the market, they go from a minimum of 0.65-0.70 Euro/kg to a maximum of 0.80 Euro/kg. According to Fricano, quality is good, whereas it's the general market that is depressed, as consumption is really slow.
Cultivation areas have decreased, there's a lemon crisis and each year the cultivated surfaces shrink in the Palermo, Trapani, Syracuse and Messina areas. The Consortium assigns 350 hectares to lemon cultivation, 70-80 to tangerines and 30 to oranges. "We work with lemons 10 months a year - the Primofiore variety until April, then the Bianchetto (April-May) and the Verdello. Then we re-start from Primofiore and so on."
"The produce is supplied loose or in girsacs. The weight changes: from a minimum of 3 kg to a maximum of 15."
On top of a minimum quantity of oranges (Valencia, Navel), the Consortium also cultivates limited quantities of Ortanique clementines (below left) and Kumquat tangerines (below right), which are a niche product. "Our Ortanique clementines are commercialised in March, and Kumquats are sold between mid-January and mid-March."
New potatoes
The new potato campaign started a week ago. "The first deliveries have already been made. We are very satisfied with the product as quality is good, thanks to the weather."
It coordinates the production and the commercialisation of fruit and vegetables produced by its members, using production specifications created by the technical staff.
Productions are compliant with a number of voluntary quality and certification standards, as requested by European mass retailing. Two new members have joined the consortium a couple of months ago: the Serradifalco Coop, specialised in the production of lemons for mass retailing (Conad) and the Santa Rosa Coop, specialised in the production of citrus with stems and leaves.
"At the moment, we are completing the tangerine production (late Ciaculli tangerine), we have almost finished the produce handed over by the associates, everything will be over in 10-15 days tops. As regards Primofiore lemons (femminello siracusano and white-flower lemons), the campaign is in full swing, but the situation is pretty heavy as prices are really low and consumption is not very good. Of course we are affected by the economic crisis as well as by foreign competition, especially from Spain, which has low prices and is therefore really aggressive."
Late tangerines.
50-60% of citrus fruit is destined to the national markets, and the remaining 40% is shipped abroad (France, Germany, Austria and Denmark). Prices abroad depend on the market, they go from a minimum of 0.65-0.70 Euro/kg to a maximum of 0.80 Euro/kg. According to Fricano, quality is good, whereas it's the general market that is depressed, as consumption is really slow.
Cultivation areas have decreased, there's a lemon crisis and each year the cultivated surfaces shrink in the Palermo, Trapani, Syracuse and Messina areas. The Consortium assigns 350 hectares to lemon cultivation, 70-80 to tangerines and 30 to oranges. "We work with lemons 10 months a year - the Primofiore variety until April, then the Bianchetto (April-May) and the Verdello. Then we re-start from Primofiore and so on."
"The produce is supplied loose or in girsacs. The weight changes: from a minimum of 3 kg to a maximum of 15."
On top of a minimum quantity of oranges (Valencia, Navel), the Consortium also cultivates limited quantities of Ortanique clementines (below left) and Kumquat tangerines (below right), which are a niche product. "Our Ortanique clementines are commercialised in March, and Kumquats are sold between mid-January and mid-March."
New potatoes
The new potato campaign started a week ago. "The first deliveries have already been made. We are very satisfied with the product as quality is good, thanks to the weather."
"Almost all of the production is organic. We have a number of different varieties: Arinda, Spunta and Nicola. Competition comes mainly from Egypt. Production prices, at the moment, range between 0.50-0.60 Euro, depending on the variety and on quality. Selling prices depend on the packet and on its destination, they range between 0.80 Euro and 1.00 Euro per kilo.
"We only supply foreign markets at the moment, as we ship the produce to France and Germany with a great feedback. Such high prices prevent us from selling the product on national markets."
Arinda potatoes.
The weather was good during the production cycle as there was no frost, though the season was rather rainy. "There was a delay in planting (October-November) but we have recuperated in the last period. In our area, production will carry on until the beginning of June."
Nicola potatoes.
APO Sicilia has appointed a company specialised in refrigerated transport to ship potatoes. Transports towards France are direct ("A for C" i.e. the produce leaves on Monday and arrives on Wednesday). As regards Germany or even Scandinavian countries, transport is 8-10 hours longer.
The packing of potatoes is carried out in the warehouse. "We use wooden crates with a net weight of 12.5 kg. As the produce is quite delicate, it is not washed, brushed or placed in girsacs. We only carry out a manual selection, cleaning off the soil, and the potatoes are placed in crates."
In terms of volumes, there's hope for a 10-15% increase, as the cultivated land in the Palermo area is now of 25-30 hectares.
Contacts:
Antonio Fricano - Chairman
OP Consorzio APO SICILIA
Bagheria (PA)
Tel.: (+39) 091 902000
Email: [email protected]
