The Savoy cabbage season started well, with prices around 40-45 eurocents per kg for the produce from Piedmont and Veneto.
Cauliflower prices also increased, reaching €1.20-1.30/kg for the white variety and €1.45-1.50/kg for green Roman one.
Broccoli prices are not stable, there is a lot of local produce but sales are slow. In addition, quality will only increase when temperatures drop further.
Tomatoes are doing well, especially cherry and date tomatoes, as prices vary between €1.50-1.60 for the former and €2.20-2.30 for the latter.
The beefsteak tomato season has practically ended and produce from Sicily should become available over the next few days.
The colder season also boosted the consumption of semi-processed products such as cooked onions and beetroots. Pumpkins are also selling well at 50-60 cents per kg, depending on variety and packaging.
Turnips from Piedmont have a good quality and are sold at €1.00-1.50/kg.
For what concerns fruit. Clementines have a good quality and Brix level and are sold at €1.60-2.00/kg depending on grade and packaging. At the moment, only oranges from South Africa are available. Lemon prices have gone back to normal at €0.85-1.00/kg for Argentinian and Spanish produce and up to €1.50-1.60 for the Sicilian produce. Tangelo sales have not taken off and prices hover between 45 and 80 cents depending on grades.
This year, the weather did not favour table grapes, which were affected by the heat and by the heavy rain that hit Puglia in late September. The season started rather badly and is only now recovering. Initially, colour and Brix levels were not very good, while the quality of the incoming produce from Sicily and Puglia is excellent and prices have gone up to €1.50/kg.
Abate pears come mainly from Emilia Romagna and have excellent quality and grades. Prices hover between 75.80 cents for produce loose in crates and €1.40-1.50/kg for 70-75 grades in cardboard crates. Golden apples have reached the perfect colour, the early Gala season is ending and Red Delicious are becoming available. Prices vary between 75 cents per loose crates and €1.20/kg for grade 85 in cardboard crates.
Persimmons from Emilia Romagna are finally ripe and are sold at €0.70-1.50/kg.
The prickly pear season continues to be positive - "bastardoni" sell at €0.80-1.80/kg depending on the grade.
Chesnuts from Cuneo and central Italy are sold in 5 kg bags with prices going from €3.70 to €4.50/kg depending on grades. Marrons even reach €6/kg as supply is still limited.
As regards exotic fruit, sales are slow and prices remain low despite the good availability.
Banana sales are below expectations, while usually demand increases as school canteens reopen. Pineapple sales are also decreasing - prices reached a €1.10/kg maximum, while they used to sell at €1.80-2.20/kg only two weeks ago.
Contacts:
Daniele Gotto
CAAT Scpa – Società Consortile Centro Agro-Alimentare Torino
Strada del Portone, 10
10095 Grugliasco (TO)
Tel.: (+39) 011 3496810