“More certainty of supply with raspberries and blackberries from Sicily”

Next week, the first Italian raspberries will arrive at Fruit World in Breda, the Netherlands, followed in week 15 by the first blackberries. For that, the company started cooperating with an Italian cooperative. “We have seen the weather circumstances becoming more changeable in Europe, and we don’t want to put all our eggs in just one Spanish basket,” commercial manager Ronald van Vossen explains.

“Of course, Spain will continue to be responsible for the majority of supply during this period, but we no longer want to be solely dependent on it. It happens too often that you expect a car-and-a-half of raspberries, and only half a car arrives. And it that happened to us, it’ll also be happening to colleagues. We no longer want to take that gamble. The weather conditions have been changing in recent years, and this year also saw tornados over Huelva.”

“Other colleagues are looking for expansion in the Moroccan cultivation, but we think Italy is even more reliable as regards weather and logistics,” Ronald continues. “The cooperative we work with has grown for the local population for four years, and over the years they expanded the area and professionalised the cultivation. They grow the raspberry varieties Violet and Lagorai. These are slightly smaller than the Adelita and slightly larger than Kweli, and they have a good flavour. The blackberries are of the Lochness variety. Of the 700,000 kilograms of soft fruit they grow, we will market about half, and they will sell the other half on the local market.”

The soft fruit area in Sicily is showing an increasing line, according to Ronald. “There are many empty tomato greenhouses that are used for growing raspberries, berries and blackberries. We expect raspberries from Sicily for the next 12-13 weeks, and the blackberry season lasts 10 weeks. Customers are very enthusiastic. Price-wise, it should be similar to the Spanish soft fruit.”