Roberto Piazza during his report in Marradi
During the Eurocasta symposium held on 14th September 2017 in Marradi, expert Roberto Piazza talked about chestnut commercialisation. Piazza showed a few photographs of the products sold abroad - for example, Spain is much more advanced than Italy. But it's still nothing compared to the roasted chestnuts from China.
Roasted chestnuts from China
"I try everything and I must say chestnuts from China were not bad at all. This is why I say that the Italian system must modernise and adapt to market demands. Is it possible that we cannot prepare a ready-to-eat product using Italian raw material at a competitive price?"
Piazza, who has over forty years of experience working with the wholesale market, reported that wholesale trades almost half of chestnuts available. "Sometimes I check the labels of Italian products and they aren't always truthful. Our operators need to work better. Of course there are professionals, but the average could improve."
Italian chestnut cultivation needs to step up. High-quality products must be available on the market for at least two months promoting their territory of origin.