“The interest in prickly pear is growing, as are the cultivated areas in San Cono. This is a sign of a booming sector and market demand. I think that there are still good margins for development in the short term.”
“But we must also consider different scenarios if we want to be ready. On one hand, there is the growing competition from Mediterranean countries. On the other hand, there are also new countries interested in this crop (eg Turkey and Israel).”
Antonio lo Tauro, an agronomist and expert in the field, told to Freshplaza, “The scientific community reported a problem regarding the great damage caused by the cochineal in Morocco. Research institutions must prevent a situation similar to the red palm weevil from happening to the prickly pear.
San Cono is the city of the prickly pear: its more than 1700 hectares of specialized cultivation represent the most important European prickly pear growing centre.
The first Organization of Producers (OP), specialising in the cultivation of prickly pears, has been operating for 4 years now. The OP is responsible for marketing the production of the 32 producer members. They are spread over 320 hectares of land located between 400-600 meters above the sea level. The production potential includes both the 'Agostani' and the 'Bastardoni' varieties
Last February, the 7 members of the previous management were reconfirmed for the BoD 2018-2020.
The reconfirmed president Francesco Grassenio talked about the achieved goals and the objectives to pursue, “Our organization is young with ample room for growth. This means that we have the ability to conquer new markets in Italy and especially in Europe. We currently sell in different markets in Northern Italy as well as Northern-Central Europe.
“Most of our production is still sold on the regional market – where the consumption is constantly growing due to the appreciation and the fruit’s healthy properties. The 2018 marketing campaign is going well. The products are of excellent quality and of considerable size. The yields are of 20 ton/hectare in irrigation and of 13-15 ton/hectare in dry. The prices are ranging from 50 to 70 cents/kg on the plant.
“We cultivate with eco-compatible methods and our productions make use of the GlobalGAP and UNI-EN ISO 22005 certifications. We are collaborating in important projects for the development of this sector to identify alternative routes for fresh products. I take this opportunity to invite everyone to the next Prickly Pear Festival in San Cono, from the 12th to the 14th of October.”
The OP vice president Massimo Balsamo adds, “As we continue to produce excellent fruits, we are looking at the innovation and transformation of the fruit. A recent study from the Piacenza and Perugia Università Cattolica showed that a meaningful quantity of polyphenols makes the cladodes extract particularly healthy. Indeed, San Cono cladode has 2.6 g of polyphenols per kg of fresh product, whereas the Spanish cladode only has 1.7 g. We will try to keep up with the need of today’s consumer and – most importantly – we will create new job opportunities for the territory. The objective is to create a circular economy capable of reducing waste and of making a sustainable use of the prickly pear resource”.
Contacts:
OP San Cono
Via Aldo Moro, 18
95040 San Cono (CT)
Cell.: (+39) 338 4206820
Email: opficodindia.sancono@gmail.com