The data is finally available to analyze the Ribera orange campaign. FreshPlaza talked about it with Paolo Parlapiano, sales/marketing manager of Parlapiano Fruit Srl and councilor of the "Arancia di Ribera D.O.P." consortium.
Left to right: Paolo Parlapiano (sales/marketing manager), Biagio Parlapiano (sole administrator), Biagio Parlapiano (purchase/production manager)
"The 2019/20 campaign ended in March and was characterized by excellent-quality fruits with good grades, appealing, sweet and juicy."
"Parlapiano Fruit Srl is a leader in the commercialization of Arancia di Ribera DOP, the only orange in Italy to have been granted the PDO mark by the European Union. It represents over 60% of commercialized volumes with a certified production of around 5 million kg (Mipaaf official data)."
"Commercialization peaked during the final phase due to the spread of the Coronavirus epidemic in Italy. Due to their vitamin-C content, orange sales skyrocketed from late February onward, as we recorded an extraordinary number of orders from big retail chains. But, post-Covid-19 perspectives are also looking good, as the pandemic highlighted the importance of eating fresh fruit and vegetables every day. Consumers learned a great lessons on citrus fruit in particular and on their contribution to strengthening the immune system. We are hoping that buying fresh produce has now become a habit not only for the sake of our sector, but in the interest of human health."
Arancia di Ribera D.O.P.
These particular oranges have been grown in the Ribera area since 1930 thanks to the ideal climate, excellent quality of the irrigation water and soil as well as the producers, who employ techniques handed down from father to son.
The Arancia di Ribera DOP valley is a unique territory surrounded by the Monti Sicani to the north, which protect the groves from the cold winter winds, opening up to the sea in the south, meaning there is a cool breeze in the summer. This microclimate conveys the oranges their excellent characteristics.
Parlapiano Fruit holds the IFS, GlobalGAP (GRASP) and BIO certifications and also commercializes organic W. Navel oranges and Vaniglia Paradiso oranges, a sweet seedless variety that stands out precisely for being subacidic and therefore not sour.
Contacts:
Parlapiano Fruit S.R.L. 
C.da Donna Vanna SP 57
92016 Ribera (AG)
Tel. +39 0925 545947
Fax +39 0925 545947
Email: info@parlapianofruit.com
Website: www.parlapianofruit.com