The Apulian Fioroni fig season is ending. The fruit destined to exports is mainly the purple-black one that is more resistant and can therefore reach faraway countries with no over-ripening problems.
According to an operator from the province of Bari, demand has been increasing this year too, also thanks to the good quantities and quality. "The Fiorone fig season is very short - 40-50 days from June until mid-July."
The same plants produce two types of fig - Fioroni and Settembrini. The latter are available from mid-July to late August, they are smaller and even sweeter.
"At the moment, quantities are decreasing daily and prices hover around €2.50/kg. Demand was constant throughout the season. In addition to the domestic market, the main destination is Germany, where Turkish consumers are essential for us."
Another operator commented that "figs will be exported from another week max. The season should end on week 29. We started on June 10th and finished on July 3rd. We exported to France, Germany and England and commercialisation increased by 20%."
In the Brindisi area, production was very scarce but perspectives are good for Settembrino, the opposite of last year. "This was due to an unexpected fructification in December 2014 due to higher-than-average temperatures and a freeze in March 2015. This meant we had one quarter of the production compared to last year and only 7-8 days of harvesting."
"Despite the limited quantities of Fiorone, we managed to export a little. We will start with Settembrini on July 18th, with demand from Germany, France, Switzerland and Belgium, where there are lots of Turks. We are lucky because the Turkish season starts on September 10th and we are already done by then."
"We used to work with Russia, but we cannot any more. We also exported to Malta who then sold to Libya but the geopolitical situation does not allow it at the moment."
Author: Maria Luigia Brusco
Copyright: www.freshplaza.it