Federica Ferrante, owner of the company together with Gian Paul Ferrante, says that "the particular characteristics of our produce derive from the soil. Once upon a time there used to be only sea and wetland here, meaning that now the soil is very salty."
The soil is very salty and thus the colour is very light.
"This, combined with the particular climate of the province, means our strawberries are unique."
"That is why we do not fear competition and we do not need to distinguish ourselves. We are always working hard to obtain the PGI mark, because our product really deserves it."
The company specialises only in this type of product. "We have 3 ha of land - 2.5 ha are in greenhouses and the rest is open fields. We are increasing our production year after year and at peak times, we harvest between 2 and 2.5 tons per day. Plants are transplanted in September and harvesting is carried out between mid-March and mid-June."
Above and below: this year harvesting was carried out 15 days early.
"This year blossoming was early and therefore so was harvesting. The weather did not affect the quality though."
"After harvesting, the produce is selected and packed. We mainly sell to markets in the Latina, Rome and Fondi area and directly through the 'Campagna Amica' circuit and retailers."
Above: weighing. Below: trays of strawberries.
"We reach retailers thanks to intermediaries who take our strawberries all over Italy and to many restaurants in the North of the country."
Cultivation is carried out using innovative techniques with low environmental impact, trying to limit water and energy consumption. In addition, Ferrante uses organic fertilisers and a natural pollination system.
Last year, Ferrante won the 'Oscar Green 2013' award from Coldiretti in the "Exporting the territory" category, dedicated to those companies that manage to seize the opportunities provided by periods of sudden change.
Contacts:
Azienda Agricola Ferrante Fragole
Via Mortacino, 104
04019 Terracina, Latina (Italy)
Tel.: (+39) 0773 730337
Federica Ferrante
Mob.: (+39) 328 7172307
Email: soc.agri.ferrante@libero.it
Web: www.ferrantefragole.weebly.com