"The situation is critical as President Putin's ban basically ruined us!," declared the owner of a Sicilian import-export firm. "We don't sell anything in Italy because of the weather and exports are blocked because they depend on Russia!"
"The situation is very calm at the moment. We are considering new possible destinations, but there is no demand. Things in Apulia are even worse, as the Victoria grapes campaign over there is still in full swing."
Two Apulian producers confirm this by saying that "there are very few negotiations going on and prices are really low. Now more than ever, we need to strengthen existing relationships and look for new markets."
"Local traders that buy the produce when still on the plants have basically halted all negotiations, as the main outlet was indeed Russia. We are really worried, and the situation on the Italian market is not much better. A lot of produce has been directed towards countries like Poland, but of course things are much different with such little demand."
The difficult situation in the Metapontino area is instead caused by the weather and the drop in consumption. Official Ismea quotations at the start of the 2014 campaign are 22.7% lower than 2013, though prices should rise starting from early September.
"Local traders that buy the produce when still on the plants have basically halted all negotiations, as the main outlet was indeed Russia. We are really worried, and the situation on the Italian market is not much better. A lot of produce has been directed towards countries like Poland, but of course things are much different with such little demand."
The difficult situation in the Metapontino area is instead caused by the weather and the drop in consumption. Official Ismea quotations at the start of the 2014 campaign are 22.7% lower than 2013, though prices should rise starting from early September.