"This year, production increased. Quotations are expected to be low, but we will have to wait for January to make an analysis, as the foreign market still has a couple of months to go," explains President Danilo Misirocchi and Director, Fabrizio Rusticali. Although producers will be paid less than 2015, it must be considered that quantities have increased by 30% with respect to last year.
According to Cia Ravenna data, apricot production also increased, with orchards covering 2,140 hectares. There was a 50% increase in volumes with respect to 2015 and the prices paid to producers should improve by 20%, at least for some varieties.
For what concerns peaches and nectarines, with its 8,034 hectares, the Ravenna province is among the leading producers in Italy. "Average quotations have increased by 25%, especially for medium and late varieties. In 2016, prices stabilised very quickly and remained stable throughout the campaign, unlike previous years."
Cia Ravenna. Left to right: Director Fabrizio Rusticali, President Danilo Misirocchi, Vice-President Stefano Francia
The President and Director then talked about bureaucracy, "which is becoming the main problem for our companies, as it costs around €7,200 a year each." But could associations like Cia grow without bureaucracy? "Without bureaucracy, I would be more than happy to change the way we are organised."
Finally, something that may be worth more than a ton of statistics and research. After the press conference, we stopped for lunch and were served a fresh fruit salad for dessert. After talking about drops in consumption and poor quality, it was quite interesting to eat a fruit salad similar to the many served in restaurants all over the country. The strawberries were not ripe, which is actually quite natural in November. Kiwis came from the other hemisphere and were harvested maybe six months earlier. Then there were tasteless apple bits and tangerines, which were okay. Unfortunately what was missing were pears, the best fruit of the season.
It is hard to believe that customers would ask for a fresh fruit salad again if that is what they are served.