Alvaro Gobbi, who has been working at the market for 45 years
"Just consider these cherries. Those from Val Venosta are of premium quality with big grades. An excellent product. Their wholesale price is €6.80/kg. But we also have others from other areas at €1.30/kg. They cost very little because they are small and their appearance is not excellent. Buyers prefer the more expensive ones. The same goes for other products."
High-quality cherries from Val Venosta
It's an important period especially for peaches and nectarines. Gobbi stocks all types from all origins. "The domestic market requires AA and AAA grades, which are paid well. Margins are very limited for mass productions."
Low-quality cherries with low grades
A producer intervenes: "it's not easy to produce large grades, especially in years like this where drought is a problem even in our area. But drought can be solved with irrigation, while there is no solution for high-temperatures and lack of temperature ranges. Unfortunately, temperatures such as 38-40°C for many weeks block plant development."
Large watermelons
At the Nema Frut stall, they say that "there are considerable watermelon quantities available, but prices are still good." Consumers tend to prefer mini-watermelons, but organoleptic quality don't always meet expectations, also because the fruit is not always harvested at the right time. Buyers still prefer large watermelons. The average is 15 kg, but some exceeding 30 kg were sold last week. Quality is excellent. But how do consumers buy watermelons that weigh over 20 kg? They don't: retailers cut the fruit for them.