Basilicata is the leading strawberry producer region in Italy with one thousand hectares (70% of which of the Sabrosa variety) and 50 million plants sold.
Carmela Suriano, CEO of Club Candonga, explains that "we have officially finished stocks in the various Italian and European markets. The 2019 campaign ended around one week later than last year and, over the last few days, prices were higher than in 2018."
"Things did not always go smoothly, as various difficulties put our producers to the test. The weather strongly affected 2019, meaning the market was not lively and prices were not suitable to the high-quality of our productions. As if this was not enough, imports from abroad caused further damage, leading to low prices between March and April, precisely when production peaks."
"We did not achieve what we had hoped for. What is more, we had to deal with the lack of labor. A lot of producers are seriously rethinking strawberry production for the next few years."
"Sabrosa is a cultivar that does not produce great volumes but that does guarantee excellent quality. More attention needs to be paid to the production techniques. We need a product that is available at the right time, without being too early. We need to respect the physiology of plants and therefore start in February and end in late May."
"The consortium could represent a case history to study how to produce high-quality products other than strawberries, focusing on cultivars with peculiar organoleptic qualities."
"The success of Club Candonga is also due to the communication strategy put in place during the campaign - events were organized and social media marketing campaigns were developed to promote the produce and the brand."
Contacts:
Club Candonga Soc. Coop. Cons.
Viale Salerno 13/15
Policoro (MT) 75025, Italy
Tel.:(+39) 0835 1852977
Email: info@candonga.it
Website: candonga.it