For the Cesena production, it is essential not to overlap with that from southern Italy. Luckily it did not happen in the past 5 years, in fact the prices of the early produce have always been below expectations. It must be stressed that, according to CSO data, Basilicata has become the leading producer region in Italy with 850 hectares, followed by Campania with 800 hectares and Veneto.
5 hectares and 200 thousand plants
The two-week wait is confirmed also by Riccardo Montanari (in the photo), from "Rosso Fragola", a company that, with 5 hectares and almost 200 thousand plants, represents the evolution of strawberry cultivation at the expense of smaller producers.
The two-week wait is confirmed also by Riccardo Montanari (in the photo), from "Rosso Fragola", a company that, with 5 hectares and almost 200 thousand plants, represents the evolution of strawberry cultivation at the expense of smaller producers.
"Rosso Fragola" is run assessing each single item and drafting a balance sheet. Partners receive salaries and each hour of work gets counted. This method is rarely found in the agricultural world, as often growers do not count the hours they work.
"40% of our crops are protected in polytunnels. Over the past few years, prices have been higher for the later open-field batches. We will see how things will go for 2016 but we are optimistic because plants are healthy and blossoming is abundance."
Plytunnel in Cesena.
Cesenate-type greenhouses
In addition to being a partner of "Rosso Fragola", Montanari is a technician for the entire Cesena area. "Those growers who protected crops with Cesenate-type greenhouses - which are completely closed - will start harvesting in mid-April. Few employ this technique though, as it requires a lot of labour, only direct growers can use it. In the 1970s and 1980s, Cesenate-type greenhouses have determined the wealth of the area thanks to the high prices that early strawberries reached."
Cesenate-type greenhouses.
The technique is as follows - each morning the tunnels are opened and they must be closed every night. This is the best case scenario because, if parameters such as temperature or humidity change during the day, growers must decide what to do to maintain a suitable microclimate. The wrong decision may compromise everything. Only very expert strawberry growers like Moretti di Gandolino can afford this type of tunnel.
Side photo: Cesenate-type greenhouses being closed (Moretti).
"Blossoming is abundant even because the high winter temperatures favoured the differentiation of buds. I have also noticed a certain staggering in the blossoming, which may help the quality of the fruit."
Among the most popular varieties in Cesena, especially in the early period, there are Alba, Clery, Brilla and Pir5.
Author: Cristiano Riciputi
