"At the moment, plants are looking good and healthy, rich in essential oils and very aromatic, especially thanks to the excellent weather conditions. We had to deal with aphid and thripidae control at the beginning, but we managed to solve everything. As we follow organic cultivation standards, we operate almost exclusively by using predator insects."
Valleri produces organic fresh herbs in pots and trays - basil, Greek basil, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, parsley, curly-leaf parsley, chives, chilli peppers, mint and dill. They are then sold under the "Gli aromi" or "Prodotti del Parco" brands, but part of the production also remains under the "Azienda Agricola Valleri" brand.
According to the owner, the market is not particularly lively, "just like the rest of the sector. The situation in terms of prices and sales volumes is critical. The season will be tough - people are talking about a recovery, but we do not see any positive signs in food trade."
"We hope things can improve. We worked well in the two days before Easter. Usually basil is the most popular herb, sold in twelve-plant boxes. Other plants are packaged in eight-plant boxes. All our production is destined to Italian retailers."
The company is trying to export its products abroad, but at the moment it lacks the right contacts. "We must also say that those countries that have domestic produce tend not to purchase it from abroad. Us Italians might have something to learn from that."
Stefano Valleri is also the local vice-president of Coldiretti, and would like to stress the lack of attention for the origin of the products. "It is not possible for consumers not to know where what they eat comes from. Especially here in Italy, where checks are stricter than in other European countries. Consumers must be able to choose whether they want to support the domestic economy or the foreign economy."
According to the entrepreneur, the problem is that domestic produce is not well identified. "Luckily a few retailer chains understand this and get their produce from domestic suppliers if available."
Most of the sales are carried out between March and May, although now some of the sales also happen during the summer months as herbs have become more popular in the past ten years. Stefano comments on the many cooking shows on TV by saying that "they definitely help our sector. Until twenty years ago, people only used basil, sage, rosemary and parsley. There are those who still do not know what a plant of oregano looks like. Nowadays, demand increases according to what they show on TV."
"We produce a lot of aromatic herbs in Italy, so it is difficult for foreign countries to enter our market. Only the Israeli product is available during winter months - it is cultivated really well, has a good quality and, at times, its prices are better than ours."
Contacts:
Az. Agricola ValleriVia del Vallone, 5
30010 Cavallino Treporti (VE)
Tel.: (+39) 041 5309581
Fax: (+39) 041 966812
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.gliaromi.com
