Higher quotations were expected for Angeleno plums. Commercialization is almost over, so it is time for the first assessments. An operator reports that "the general trend was satisfactory, but we were hoping for something better. Volumes in Italy were lower than in past years, but expectations in general did not envisage high quantities."
Other operators think European produce was indeed available regardless of low volumes in Italy. "Settlements will be good for big grades, while small ones will have a few difficulties. Nothing new, just as usual. But we must say that Angeleno produces so much that the gross saleable production will be more or less satisfactory."
Over the past few years, the excessive production per hectare has actually been a problem as it risks causing storage problems.
"Angeleno plums are stored and sold until December, sometimes even January, but fruits need to have a good dry matter content level and no shelf-life problems. When production is too high or in case of abnormal years, fruits have a shorter shelf-life. Maybe we should set some rules regarding production per hectare."
Large cooperatives export most Angeleno plums. In some cases, the foreign market absorbs 70% of the production. Prices are not bad, but shelf-life is a risk if upstream operations have not been carried out well.