"On 10th January, the market was almost empty (photo above). Prices are sky high - aubergines reached €3,00-3.50/kg, tomatoes and courgettes reached€2.50/kg. The limited quantities of artichokes from Puglia in cold storage units are ending, so the price of those from Tunisia and Egypt have skyrocketed. At the moment, it is €0.60 per head but we are sure it will exceed €0.70 per head next week."
"January and February will be hard, as prices will continue to rise. Produce is lacking, even if consumption is slow. Spanish products such as aubergines, peppers, courgettes and tomatoes are increasingly popular as quality is good and prices are more acceptable."
"It is impossible to recover what we lost, especially since a new cold front is expected. I think there's nothing else we can do but wait for the new harvesting in April/May. At the moment, Italy can only rely on foreign produce."
"The Naples market focuses on both quantity and quality. Various wholesalers deal directly with foreign markets and process produce from Spain, Argentina and Tunisia, for example. Despite the difficulties, client demands are always met."
"The low temperatures of this period, are making it very hard for us, we are not prepared to deal with them. We wear heavy clothing, but they limit our movements. Anyway we continue to do what we do because the show must go on."
In the meantime, AIIPA-IV Gamma issued a warning about the lack of produce to be destined to the fresh-cut industry (read here).