Late harvest for the PGI Red Orange of Sicily

With the arrival of the cold and snow on Mount Etna, the PGI Red Orange of Sicily (blood orange) began its pigmentation, but the product does not have the parameters to be marketed yet .

As reported by Alessandro Matarazzo Scuderi, president of the Consortium: "An assessment was carried out in the field in areas devoted to this production, in which early pigmentation in the basal part of the fruit and low Brix levels were detected. In relation to the requirements of the technical policies for production and to the expectations of the consumer, it is expected that the products will be marketed in the second half of December, after a later evaluation of the product in the field at the beginning of the month."

According to the Consortium, this campaign saw an overall increase in terms of product volumes, with good quality oranges, while noting the presence of small to medium calibres. According to the president: "The latter should be valued in an appropriate manner, especially considering the fact that the true value of Sicilian red oranges lies not in the calibre of the fruit, but in what is contained within it, namely the organoleptic and health aspects, in addition to factors such as sweetness, freshness, origin, that consumers have learned to recognize and request nowadays, so as to broaden the concept of relative quality."

Contacts:
Alessandro Scuderi Matarazzo
Consorzio di Tutela "Arancia Rossa di Sicilia IGP"
Via San Giuseppe la Rena 30/B
95121 Catania
Tel./fax: (+39) 095 7232990
Email: aranciarossadisicilia@virgilio.it
Email: aranciarossadisicilia@gmail.com
Web: www.aranciarossadisiciliaigp.it