It is the Modigliani Davide company's turn to set the record for precocity in Emilia Romagna once again. On 25 March 2020, he assembled the first packs of the PIR5 variety, which are very rustic and "with a high sugar content, despite being harvested in this period."
"It's the first time I've ever picked them up feeling the snow falling on the greenhouse," said the farmer. " Within a few kilometers from my plant, on the lower hills, several centimeters of snow piled up. On the first day we collected only a few batches, but it made our debut. Because of these low temperatures, the ripening has now stopped.
Usually Modigliani starts picking in April, but this year the campaign was well ahead of schedule. With this return of cold weather, the situation is reverting back to normal. "Two nights ago the temperature in my area, between Cesena and Cesenatico, was around zero, and therefore no damage was reported.
However, there is still a lack of manpower. "Several of my trusted workers are stuck in their own homes in Bulgaria and Morocco and don't know if they can come here for the job. The thinning out will start in a few weeks and there will be the picking of strawberries, cherries and then peaches. At the moment I only have two workers available, and it will be hard to find people during the peak of the activities."
In addition to selling to general markets and to the large-scale retail channel, Modigliani also operates in direct sales: " There is some kind of mass media crisis because information is not clear. There are people who are afraid to come and buy directly from the company, because they fear sanctions. But buying directly from a farmer, by carefully keeping to all the precautions and maintaining all distances, is certainly better than queuing up at another retail store. I'm the first one who advocates staying at home and don't make useless trips, but since grocery shopping is necessary, let's not forget direct sales."
Contact:
Modigliani Frutta
Via Vetreto 264
Cesenatico (FC)
Phone: 0547/311002
Email: d.modigliani@libero.it
Website: www.modiglianifrutta.it