The current prices have also stabilized and are currently around 2.20-2.40 kilos. A fairly normal producer’s price just before the end of the season, confirms Mr Giovanelli. “The supply of Spanish products continues to run for some weeks before we switch to Italian goods. The strawberries from Italian fields are on average about 10 percent more expensive than the Spanish products. This has to do with the size of the fields: on the one hand, they are relatively large in Spain, while in Italy, for the most part, there are small producers with a few hectares. Because of the shorter transport routes we prefer the goods from Italy.”
Calinda
This year, there will be an important shift in strawberries. After the successful launch of the new Calinda variety, Giovanelli decided to mainly import the Spanish product in large quantities. "In 2017, we brought the Calinda on the market in limited test quantities and we have received almost exclusively positive feedback. This variety is slightly more expensive to grow than the usual varieties, since the yield per hectare is relatively low. On the other hand, the Calinda is very tasty and therefore particularly in demand.”
Giovanelli Fruchtimport AG is a traditional wholesaler and is now run by the fourth generation of the founding family. The company supplies both major Swiss distributors and retailers at the wholesale market in Zurich. Among other things, the firm is known for its diverse range of exotic fruits and vegetables. In addition to this, the company also has a nut roasting plant (sister company Gerelli AG) at the same location, in Frauenfeld.
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Giovanelli Fruchtimport AG