Italy: Low prices for potatoes and onions

2017 is ending, so the time has come to make a few assessments on the potato and onion campaign with F.lli Torti s.r.l..

The campaign was affected by the high temperatures and lack of rain that started last winter. The frost in late April further damaged the crops. What is more, the drought in spring-summer stressed plants favouring physiological disorders (smaller tubers) and the onset of diseases (scabies and wireworms).

Blossoming Queen Anne.

Nonetheless, Solana branded cultivars, Queen Anne in particular, showed good resistance to water and temperature stress thanks to the fact they are rustic. Yields were satisfactory with only slight drops.

While the quality of onions was good, potatoes showed defects caused by scabies, rhioctonia and wireworms. Unfortunately, quality has been dropping as the soil is tired due to excessive exploitation and limited crop rotation. This of course leads to decreased fertility, the onset of fungal diseases and insect damage. Growers should adopt agronomic techniques useful to achieve "sustainable" cultivation that safeguards soil fertility and the environment thus improving product quality.

The situation on the market was critical due to the abundant offer and lack of demand. This in turn meant prices were below production costs. The commercial campaign is not going too bad at the moment, although prices are not exceptional.

Seed potatoes in partnership with Solana (www.solana.de) are doing better. The reservation of quantities for 2018 started off with various orders. We would like to remind growers that, by making a reservation, you can choose your preferred cultivar as well as the grade!

F.lli Torti is not considering relevant increases in productivity although it has started updating its crops. R&D remains of the utmost importance for F.lli Torti, a company that is constantly focusing on evolution.

Contacts:
F.lli Torti srl
Via Marconi 54/61
15050 Molino dei Torti (AL)
Tel.: (+39) 0131 854363
Fax.: (+39) 0131 854188
Email: info@fratellitorti.it
Web: www.fratellitorti.it
Sales manager Piera Torti: piera.torti@fratellitorti.it
Seed potato manager Marco Torti: patatedaseme@fratellitorti.it