Italy: Drop in prices paid to producers for cherries

Unacceptable market trends for cherries from Puglia. Coldiretti Puglia stresses how the prices paid to producers are dropping by the minute. "In just one week, they dropped to €1.5/kg while in Rome, in a well-known retail chain, the produce is sold at €7.98/kg, a mark-up of 532%," reports Gianni Cantele, president of the trade association. (Photo: Coldiretti Puglia Press Office)

"Cherry production is destined exclusively to fresh consumption and therefore grade, texture and flavour must be maintained intact. All this of course requires the maximum care the during cultivation and harvesting phases. These operations cannot be carried out using machines."

"We cannot let our producers abandon cherry production due to prices that continue to be too low. This is why, over the next two weeks, we will open Campagna Amica markets throughout the region. They will sell local cherries at the right price for both producers and consumers," adds Coldiretti Puglia Angelo Corsetti.

The ranking of agricultural products from Puglia in the domestic territory sees cherries occupy the first place with an area of almost 20,000 hectares, 17,000 of which in the Bari province (over 85%).

The comment of an operator
"At the moment, we are harvesting the Bigarreau variety. Drops are normal for this variety and were only slightly increased by the Sirocco wind of May 10th. The high temperatures with high humidity levels of 13th May favoured ripening in many orchards, so prices dropped drastically, also because of the low quality of the fruit."

"This year's abundant production was expected (unlike 2016), as the chilling requirement was met. Plants started developing early, even though the subsequent cold front slowed things down. Anyway the produce is not lacking and it won't lack when harvesting of the Ferrovia variety will start. The problem is actually that current prices do not cover costs. Just consider that, unlike Ferrovia, the Bigarreau variety requires at least 3-4 harvesting sessions, with all the costs deriving from them."

"On the one hand, the warm temperatures of the past few days have favoured consumption but, on the other hand, they also led to the ripening of large volumes, making prices drop. Cherry orchards are increasing all over Italy, from Trentino, to Tuscany, Puglia, Basilicata and down to Sicily. We will have to consider the sustainability of a market that risks becoming more and more saturated and generating price wars, also due to fragmentation."

According to the latest data, prices on 13th and 14th May varied between €0.30-0.50 and €0.60/kg and many traders did not require produce."

Data processed by FreshPlaza