"We work on different production areas so fennel is available all year round. Around 40 commercial farms are involved covering a total of 600 hectares and producing almost 8,000 tons of fennel. We carry out harvesting and transportation directly."
The production areas are scattered in various regions in Central-Southern Italy like Campania, Apulia, Calabria, Molise and Abruzzo. "Among our suppliers-producers, there are also members of APOC Salerno."
"Our main market of reference is Italy and we also have direct contacts with retailers. We don't really work that much abroad, as foreign countries are mainly interested in small grades, which we consider second-choice. We do send small amounts to England or France though."
Selection and packaging is carried out in a 3,000 sq m warehouse in the Salerno province equipped with two 200 sq m cold storage units. The company holds the GlobalGAP certification.
The procedure to process fennel is very simple - the produce is transported to the warehouse where it is cleaned, washed and placed in crates. It is then selected according to grades.
"We use 10-piece basket boxes for packaging and fennel is sold under our Paolillo Srl brand, which is very much appreciated in Milan, Turin, Genoa, Verona, Padua and Bologna. We also place a sticker on our premium produce."
There is very little competition from abroad. Morocco and Tunisia are good producers and lately Spain is coming forward too, but I believe their produce cannot even be compared with ours."
"We are currently collaborating with a few seed companies and every year there are new cultivars which we test. The key is innovation - if you compare what we sell now with what we used to sell 8-10 years ago, the difference is enormous. Fennel has improved a lot, it is much whiter, yet it has maintained its typical organoleptic qualities."
The consumption of this vegetable is growing, although it is not very popular in Europe. The best way to promote the Italian produce is to collaborate, set-up associations. We live in a global world, where there is strength in numbers."
Contacts:
Gennaro Paolillo
Cell.: (+39) 333 4710055
Email: s.paolillo@paolillosrl.eu / paolillosabato@gmail.com
Paolillo S.r.l.
Via Stabia 354
80057 Sant'Antonio Abate (NA)
Tel.: (+39) 0818796741
Fax: (+39) 0818738791 - 0828347000
Email: info@paolillosrl.eu
Web: www.paolillosrl.eu