"It's not unrealistic expectations, but a good combination of factors"

Despite Psa, kiwifruit from Piemonte are looking good

"This year, we started the campaign differently compared to 2012, when in the beginning of the season we had to deal with huge residual stock product from the Southern Hemisphere (especially from Chile), which led to a general delay in marketing the product within the European circuit and the two Americas. This year, however, the start of the kiwifruit campaign benefited by a relatively empty market, which immediately animated the demand and generated good prices and a slight recovery of value compared to 2012.

According to Giuseppe Termanini, director of OP – Organizzazione di Produttori Lagnasco Group, located in Lagnasco (CN), this is the situation of the current kiwifruit campaign.

The new president of Lagnasco Group, Simone Bernardi with the director Giuseppe Termanini.

The actual data of the Italian production shows a total amount of about 400 thousand tonnes (higher than last year): "A good start of the commercial season must not encourage unrealistic expectations, especially these days,” continues Termanini. “What can be convenient for the second half of the current year is rather a late spring for the main competitors, due to frost and low temperatures, at least in Europe we should not suffer the invasion of the Southern Hemisphere product, being able to maintain demand and prices in balance.”

To date, the Producers Organization from Cuneo has completed sourcing product from the growers, which is now being marketed in target markets in Europe, but mostly overseas (USA, Canada, Brazil , China, Malaysia), and in Russia. "We are talking about 8,000 tonnes of product, coming mainly from local crops (Piemonte),” explains the director. We registered a drop in volumes linked to a low yield per hectare, due to the effects of the Psa-V.”

Termanini concludes: "Considering the positive approach on the market and thanks to a good quality of the fruits, which have good brix levels, we expect that our campaign will continue until mid-May 2014. The recent innovation introduced for the company’s entire cooling and storage systems, and the purchasing of products from other Italian regions, provided the chance to expand the commercial calendar.”

For more information:
Giuseppe Termanini - Direttore
Lagnasco Group Soc. Coop. arl
Via Santa Maria, 2
12030 Lagnasco (CN)
Tel.: (+39) 0175 282119
Fax: (+39) 0175 282181
Email: direzione@lagnascogroup.it
Web: www.lagnascogroup.it

Publication date: Wed 4 Dec 2013