"The canary yellow melon campaign started off great also thanks to the great organoleptic qualities of the fruit, which are considerably higher with respect to those of the foreign produce from Spain," explains Salvatore La Porta, general director at L'Ortofrutticola F.
All of Sicily produces melons, but early canary yellow melons come from Niscemi (CL), as the area manages to harvest the produce in greenhouses first and open-field fruits from June onward.
Weather permitting, L'Ortofrutticola F. usually commercializes between 1,000 and 1,500 tons of canary yellow melons of the Helios and Giorillo varieties. The former is the most popular thanks to its perfect balance between sugar level and aroma. It has a wrinkled yellow-orange rind, sweet flavor, firm and crunchy flesh and a Brix level exceeding 13-14° on average.
Giorillo melons have a very peculiar flavor, also exalted by the characteristics of the area's soil and weather. The rind has a golden color, the flesh is white with a Brix level exceeding 13° on average. These characteristics are also exalted by the natural fertility of the soil obtained thanks to crop rotations.
"Both varieties have similar organoleptic qualities, so it is difficult to distinguish between them and they make it possible to guarantee continuous supplies. From late June onward, prices start to drop due to the availability of volumes from Trapani and Palermo."
"During this period, competition is mainly on a domestic level, as there is also produce form Puglia and Calabria. Their quality is not as good, however, so prices are definitely lower. Unfortunately, we have to deal with transport costs, so what we earn is practically the same as them. Quantities and yields/hectare are stable compared to last year, with excellent output prices of around €0.60/kg."
Prices are expected to drop between late June and early July due to the high quantities available, although the Italian produce remains 20-25% more expensive than the Spanish one.
"We process and package the fruit with specific machinery we only use for canary yellow melons. The freshly-harvested produce arrives in bins, then it is washed, brushed, graded and packaged. The most popular packaging is 40x60 cardboard crates created specifically for these melons, but the 30x40 and 30x50 formats are also available."
Markets
Ortofrutticola F holds the GlobalGAP certification. With its €7 million turnover and an export share of 40%, the brand is available on the global market with a wide range of products. As regards canary yellow melons, the produce is mostly sold in Italy and 20/25% is shipped abroad.
Contacts:
L'Ortofrutticola F
Salvatore La Porta
C.da Pilacane
93015 - Niscemi (CL) - Italy
Cell : +39 320 6813800
Email: commerciale@ortofrutticolaf.it
Website: lortofrutticolaf.it