"At the moment the markets are experiencing a period of physiological stagnation, as it usually happens every year after Easter. Despite this temporary stall and the Covid-19 emergency, fruit and vegetables are doing well; I feel really lucky to work in this sector. In fact, it is precisely in these moments that we must reinvent ourselves: for example, we have included new products in our selection such as aromatic, edible and ornamental plants, to complement our classic fruit and vegetable offer. I must say that this bet proved successful. The increase in demand is probably dictated by the moment." So says Raffaele Lanzano, one of the owners of the wholesale company Lf Fruit Srl, operating at the CAR agro-food center in Rome.
Leonardo Lanzano, Antonio Marucci and Raffaele Lanzano.
The owner says that fruit is holding up: "We still have Sicilian blood oranges, thanks to some suppliers who managed to grab large quantities beforehand. Generally they are very appreciated by the consumer but right now the demand is unusually high, so much so that these citrus fruits are seeing very good prices, which make sales profitable".
The situation is somewhat different for vegetables. "The vegetable market has been very fluctuating lately; the red pepper is seeing very high prices, around 2.50/3 euros/kg, and the demand is good too. Vine tomatoes are doing fine as well, while the prices of courgettes have decreased and there has been a slight drop in prices for aubergines".
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Lf Fruit was founded in 2015, after Raffaele Lanzano, Leonardo Lanzano and Antonio Marucci - the three owners - took over a company in box 18 of the CAR. The owners, who have always been passionate about this sector, before starting the company already had some experience, albeit not direct.
The company is run at a family level ("this is our real strength", explains Raffaele Lanzano) and the flagship products are oranges and artichokes. Its mission is to market excellent products. The company premises are all insulated, in order to mitigate the internal microclimate and thus protect the quality of the product from possible thermal shocks.
"The artichoke market recovered very well before Easter. Then, during the Easter week, the small quantities sold well. We are now doing a very good job with Ronaldo (an excellent cultivar and a quality product), a variety of late artichoke, and the market is also paying off well: 0.90 cents per unit".
"Our offer is aimed at local retailers and wholesalers who appreciate quality products. So much so that we decided to focus on high quality products, in order to satisfy a medium-high clientele. Before the emergency we also supplied the HoReCa sector and customers who worked with restaurants, but unfortunately the situation now is blocked due to quarantine".
"Among our future ambitions, there is the desire to grow, to innovate and continue to do quality work: because working well and earnestly always pays off."
Contacts:
LF Fruit Srl
Via Tenuta Del Cavaliere 1, Box 18 CAR Roma
00012 - Guidonia Montecello (RM) - Italy
Tel.: (+39) 60501451
Email: lffruitsrl@gmail.com
Facebook: lffruitsrl