"Quality is really excellent thanks to the Sele plain, which is particularly suitable for cultivation. We employ organic cultivation techniques and our warehouse management was developed in cooperation with Giovanni Carlo Di Renzo, professor in the Department of Agriculture at the University of Basilicata. Currently, we can guarantee a sugar level of minimum 14° Brix for our DolceKiwi range and firmness is below 3 kg/cm2."
"The increasing success of DolceKiwi is repaying our efforts. Most of our production (only 1,600 tons this year) is sold under this brand. Unfortunately, over the years, consumption has been penalised by the commercialisation of fruit that was practically inedible - too tough, too sour or too 'pumped'. But results show consumption could increase with good kiwis."
A promotional campaign has been organised this week in Coop stores in Tuscany for traditional 1.5 kg Dolcekiwi baskets. Fruit have an average of 15.2° Brix and2.5 kg/cm2. "I believe these are the ideal kiwis and, at Armonia, we are working to make this the norm."
Example of a promotional flyer that focuses on quality rather than on price. This strategy works particularly well with the Dolce range, as it stresses the distinctiveness of the fruit, organoleptic qualities, origin and healthiness. This is also the purpose of the "5 colori del benessere" brand, which combines the colour of the fruit with specific beneficial properties.
A comment on the cold temperatures
"The cold front that hit central and southern Italy caused a lot of damage. Luckily, the fact that we knew it was coming, enabled us to limit its negative effects. In Calabria, we harvested citrus early, especially in the areas most at risk."
Organic salad greenhouses in Eboli on January 6th.
"In the Sele plain, all our vegetables are in greenhouses, which helped us a lot. The growth of baby leaves has slowed down enormously, making it difficult for us to comply with the terms in the contracts we had stipulated with the various clients. For what concerns the other salad, an anti-frost system combined with non-woven fabric helped us protect crops from the cold."
Organic salad greenhouses in Eboli on January 6th.
"It is still to early to know what will happen to strawberries. The campaign will probably be delayed to mid-February and the first fruit will probably be misshapen."
"Anyway we will know more in a few day's time."
For further information:
Marco Eleuteri
Email: marco.eleuteri@aoparmonia.it