The harvesting of Italia grapes in Bari started in the last week of August. "Quality is good, which I think will have a positive effect on consumption. Appearance and sweetness are all looking good," explains Giovanni Grasso, who founded his company 20 years ago together with his four brothers (Maria Grazia, Giuseppe, Nino and Mario).
Italia grapes.
At the start of the season, the produce is always in competition with other fruit, "so everything depends on the promotional activities carried out by our clients. I would say the campaign is in line with previous years. I saw an increase in the consumption of seedless grapes but, at the moment, supply is higher than demand and it is suffering competition from Spain, Greece and Turkey."
Italia grapes.
The Giovanni Grasso company is part of a group with La Zagara SSA and Bio La Zagara SSA, a start-up that grows and sells organic produce. It has two facilities, one in Fiumefreddo di Sicilia with a vegetable packaging and citrus fruit processing warehouse, and one in Bari for table grapes. It covers 250 hectares in total and cultivates citrus fruit (especially blood oranges), cherry tomatoes and table grapes.
2015 turnover per country
Click here to enlargee
Almost the entire production is destined for the foreign markets. With a 2015 turnover of over €30 million (half of which was generated by the 11,000 tons of table grapes), Giovanni Grasso works with the main European (at least 90%) and Italian retailers.
2015 turnover and production
Click here to enlarge
"We sell our produce all over Europe and I have noticed an increased interest in Germany in seedless varieties, especially over the past two years."
Contacts
Giovanni Grasso Srl
Puglia facility
Viale delle Province sn
70016 Noicattaro (BA)
Tel.: +39 080 4781187
Fax: +39 080 4786540