Above average current temperatures are not favoring the consumption of typical autumn fruit. This includes apples, whose campaign began a few days ago.
FreshPlaza spoke to a South Italian fruit and vegetable wholesaler to get an overview on the commercial scenario.
"The trend between supply and demand is very slow compared to the same timeframe one year ago: the equivalent in percentage is 35/40% less than 2018. It can be ascribed to overly high temperatures. With only a few days before the beginning of the commercialization, the impact on sales is already clear. For some reason, when it gets hotter, consumers don't buy apples," explained a facility manager.
"Regarding the price, it's not only determined by the varieties but also by the production area. This means that a Golden apple from Ferrara is around 0.35 €/kg, while those from Trento or Bolzano range from 0.50 to 0.60 €/kg".
"These prices also refer to the varieties such as Stark, Morgenduft and Granny, while other varieties, like Fuji and Pink, have quotations between 0.60 and 0.80€/kg. The most requested apples remain Golden and Fuji. A variety that is proving to be greatly and successfully popular is the Envy™.