Family company Salvi from the Italian Ferrara has existed for over 100 years. Now the Salvi group controls the entire chain from cultivation to sales. The company is now even developing its own varieties through research bureau C.I.V. and is researching better cultivation methods. 1000 people work in the group. "Besides our own 550 tonne hectare production we also buy fruit from other Italian growers and smaller wholesalers," according to general director Marco Salvi. The turnover is 120,000 tonnes.
The packaging station runs for 14 hours a day. 300 tonnes of fruit are processed for customers every day. In peak season 500 people work in the packaging station.
Salvi trades a wide assortment of fruit and vegetables, but the focus is on apples, pears and kiwis. "We have a year round supply of these products. When we ourselves don't have any kiwis available we import them from other countries, such as Chile." Italy has an extensive production area. Salvi gets the fruit from various regions. Kiwis, apples, peaches and nectarines from the region Piedmont, apples and pears from Veneto, apricots, strawberries, apples, pears, peaches, nectarines and plums from Emilia Romagna, kiwis, apples, peaches and nectarines from Marche, kiwis and plum from Lazio, strawberries, peaches and nectarines from Campania, apricots, strawberries, peaches and nectarines from Basilcata, grapes from Apulia and oranges and mandarins from Calabria. "We supply to a number of large brands such as Zespri and Pink Lady.
Kiwis
The Italian kiwi season starts at the beginning of November. Large volumes are supplied every day during the season and Salvi's packaging station is in full swing. The kiwi cooling cells are kept strictly separate from the other fruit, so that they do not come into contact with the ripening gas ethylene which kiwis are very sensitive to. UniTec's sorting machine has a capacity of 15 tonnes per hour. The kiwis are sorted by size, quality, colour and class, among other things, with 26 different exits. The expectations for the new season are good. Especially those of Zespri (Sun) Gold, of which a lot of new plantation are coming into production, are high.
Kiwi plantations near Ferrara in de omgeving van Ferrara. An average of 30 tonnes per hectare can be harvested.
For more information:
Salvi Groep
Via Bologna, 714
44124 Ferrara
Tel.: (+39) 0532 785511
Fax: (+39) 0532 785531
info@salvivivai.it
www.salvivivai.it