Small, red or blue, sweet and juicy, rich in vitamins, anthocyanins and other secondary metabolites and precious for our organism - berries can be considered real superfoods. Over the past ten years, the global consumption of soft fruit has more than doubled and the per-capita consumption is expected to increase further. Of course this means production is also growing.
Pietro Ciardiello, director of Cooperativa Sole, explained that "crops are increasing also thanks to the varietal and technological innovations. Breeding is essential to obtain better products, extend the harvesting calendar and sow in areas less suitable for their production."
"Demand exceeds supply: in southern Italy, demand has increased by 70%. We are now trying to meet demand, so we are expecting cultivated areas to grow over the next few years. Feedback from the foreign markets is always great."
"The soft fruit campaign is going well. We have been harvesting fruit since late May and we are proud we were the first ones to use wall cultivation systems. As for the future, we confide in specific technologies that can exalt the quality of the produce and extend the blueberry harvesting calendar."
Mirco Carlini, director of Carlini Frutta, added that "consumers are becoming very aware of the beneficial properties of food and are looking for new tasty recipes that feature superfoods. We have already received requests for ready-to-eat mixes with berries and dried fruits."