The first Williams counter seasonal pears imported from Gobbi Frutta have arrived in Italy after a three-week transit, thus starting the season of pears from overseas, albeit with a slight delay.
Owner Daniel Gobbi with his mother at Gobbi Frutta. (note: the pears in the photo are Italian Abate)
Specialising in the production and trade of fruit (pears, chestnuts, strawberries, peaches, watermelons, apricots and apples), the family business stands out with respect to other importers because it owns 120 hectares in Uruguay. "We believe this solution is strategic because it means we can have our own produce and control all production and processing stages. This way we can also provide more guarantees to our clients, especially retailers, even in light of the GlobalGAP certification."
Through the G.F. PO, Gobbi collects 6 thousand tons of pears from Italian orchards, and an additional thousand of Williams, Packham, Santa Maria and Abate come from Uruguay. Such a large volume meant that the company won the award for Best Uruguaian Pear Exporter (in the photo, Daniel Gobbi receives the prize from the Director of the Treasury of the Republic of Uruguay).The land was bought 15 years ago as part of a well-defined company strategy. "Luca Granata is right when he says overseas countries are potential partners rather than competitors. We import produce until late June, right when the first domestic early varieties are ready. This way, we can supply fruit throughout the entire year."
Differences between Italian and Uruguayan pears are minimal. "They are mainly aesthetic as Italian Williams have a more oblong shape, thin peel and no russeting, while Uruguayan ones are more squashed with a rougher skin and russeting, which determines a higher Brix level. In addition, they have a stronger aroma and are more compact," explains quality manager Enzo Gentili.
What is more, Uruguayan pears have a deep yellow colour with a red shading due to the more hours of sunlight. "This means we can mostly get medium/big grades."
The processing plant in Pievesestina (FC).
As mentioned earlier, the counter seasonal pear campaign is late this year and estimates talk about lower yields. "It is because of the weather, as winter was particularly mild while spring was colder and rainier than usual. This in turn delayed ripening. Estimates talk about 50% less volumes in Uruguay and 30% less in Argentina."
Contacts:Gobbi Frutta S.r.l.
Via Dismano, 4355
47522 Pievesestina di Cesena (FC) - Italia
Tel: (+39) 0547 419747
Fax: (+39) 0547 419761
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.gobbifrutta.it
