Thanks to its soil and weather conditions, the Rocca Imperial plain in the Cosenza province has the ideal conditions for the cultivation of fruit plants. The production of lemons is the most promising activity for the future.
FreshPlaza interviewed the President of Consorzio di Tutela del Limone di Rocca Imperiale IGP Vincenzo Marino to learn more about it.
"The product is gaining more and more popularity with local producers and consumers, also thanks to its deep yellow color and aroma, which make it stand out against all other lemons."
"The consortium has 50 members covering 500 hectares in total. 350 are currently in production, while the rest is made up of groves in their second or third year. In a few years, we will reach 700 hectares."
"Our consortium was established recently yet, in just a few years, the volumes grew from 10 to over 100 tons. But there are also some negative aspects, as there is no collection or commercialization center directly connected to the consortium. In addition, there is no possibility of selling the lemons at a single price to obtain a fair income for producers, which is our primary objective. There is a lot of competition, so quotations are not satisfactory for such a great product. We are thinking about setting up a business network, so we could grow and our producers wouldn't have to lose their identity."
"We will have to wait for March to have a full picture of the 2018/19 campaign. Currently, Igp di Rocca Imperiale lemons are sold at €1.50/kg and also reach France and Switzerland."
"We presented a project to the Regione which, if everything goes well, will give us the chance to obtain funds for a promotional campaign involving posters, events, fairs and advertisements. In addition, we could present this product at Fruit Logistica in Berlin."
For further information:
Consorzio di Tutela del Limone di Rocca Imperiale IGP
Via Castello Aragona, 2
Tel.: (+39) 347/3390819
Email: consorziolimone@libero.it