"We commercialize netted melons, a typical Sicilian product, grown locally. We are a young dynamic business that does not just sell fresh produce but also produces it," explain Agripalma managers.
Left to right: Rosario Scarpello (sales manager), Angelo Lombardo (president) and Santoro Castronovo (administrative manager).
Vegetables:
Peppers and zucchini are harvested between October and February, artichokes are harvested between 20th December and 15th March and fresh peas are harvested between 1st March and 30th April.
Fruit:
The netted melon season runs between 1st April and 30th June, while canary yellow melons are available from early June and early September.
Above and below: freshly-harvested Rais melons with the "Saporito" sticker.
The continuous improvement of the company management and a close cooperation with the partners represent an added value when it comes to competitiveness, procurement protocols, processing and logistics.
CLX ME 528
Netted melon
The company covers around 30 hectares with a yield of 40 tons per hectare for peppers and 35 tons per hectare for zucchini.
Netted melons have a yield of around 30 tons/Ha and represent the company's core business. The melon season starts rather early with an obvious profit for the 20 partners. This in turn means fields destined to melon cultivation are increasing.
Kosmos
"Our produce is early thanks to the Rais F1 variety, which is followed by CLX ME528, a new cultivar tested last year. Geos F1 and Komos F1 are available until autumn. This varietal choice means our produce can be found on the market for a long period of time," explains Rosario Scarpello, sales manager for the cooperative.
90% of the production is destined to the domestic market (retailers and wholesalers) and only 10% is sent abroad, mainly to Germany, Austria and Poland.
Contacts:
Agripalma Soc. Coop. Agr.
Via Fasci Siciliani, 20
92020 Palma di Montechiaro ( AG ) Italy
Tel. e fax: +39 0922966525
Email: agripalma.soc.coop@gmail.com
Website: www.agripalma.it