The PGI clementine campaign is ending rather early in the Gulf of Taranto, an area known for producing citrus fruit with unique organoleptic qualities and an intense aroma.
The 2019/20 campaign will be remembered for the drastic drop in production (over 70%) also due to climatic reasons.
FreshPlaza talked about it with Nunzio Casamassima, sales manager for Clemj Puglia in Palagiano, a cooperative with over 70 suppliers and 300 hectares.
"The past two campaigns were abnormal, but the latest seems to have been truly critical: we have never seen anything like it. There are very few fruits on the trees while last years trees were still laden this time of year."
"We went from 4,000 tons of clementines during the past campaign to the 1,000 tons of this year. We commercialized only 25% of our potential, which has had a consequence also from an occupational point of view: we hired 50 people for the 2018/19 campaign, but we only needed 15 this year. Not to mention that plants only worked for a few hours a day at peak times."
"We have now shipped the last quantities. While, on the one hand, sales prices have been interesting throughout the entire campaign with quotations never below €0.65-0.70/kg (producer price), on the other hand, they were not enough to provide a fair profit to agricultural businesses."
"Only a few managed to save themselves (around 10% of partners), while the rest wasted their time, efforts and, most of all, money. Once again and for yet another year. Producers are confused - sudden climate changes from one year to the next do not guarantee the economic stability necessary to set up the new campaign or perform the usual agronomic operations."