"Our season usually lasts from September until the end of the year; i.e., it lasts for three or four months at most. Chestnuts are not usually kept for longer than four or five months, until March at the latest, so the season is practically the same in other producing countries," explained Pereira, adding that the chestnut market is very variable when it comes to prices, and the situation is different for each variety.
Jedia variety
Agromontenegro is a family company that has been producing chestnuts of the Judia variety for 25 years in the region of Serra da Padrela, the most important region when it comes to the production of this variety.
"We work with about a thousand producers, and in 2015, we produced a volume of about 3,000 tonnes," he affirms. "We export 80% of the total and our most important markets are Italy, France, Spain and Brazil. The demand for chestnuts is on the rise. In France, chestnuts are often used in their dishes, and their consumption is growing." The company offers its chestnuts in containers of various sizes, ranging from 1 kg to 30 kg.
Dried chestnuts
Starting this year, the company will also market dried chestnuts; a new product that is currently in the testing stage. The goal is for all chestnuts that do not meet the export requirements to be used. "Normally, we would throw away about 150 tonnes, but in this way, we could process them into tasty snacks or even feed them to animals," he concludes.
More information:André Pereira
Agromontenegro
Rua da Igreja, 3 –Rio Bom
5445-083 São João da Corveira, Portugal
T: +351 933 175 555
E: geral@agromontenegro.net
www.agromontenegro.net