"The 2020 strawberry campaign ended on a positive note with encouraging signs in terms of value, quantity and quality. Feedback was also good, despite some initial hesitations which lasted around 15 days and caused by the Coronavirus. In 2020, we produced 500 tons more than last year and exceeded 8200 tons in total. What is more, sales increased by 7% when it comes to value and by 5% when it comes to quantity. Over the next campaigns, we aim at increasing the production areas by around 7%," explained Pietro Paolo Ciardiello, director of Coop Sole.
Coop Sole is currently producing and commercializing strawberries, and Ciardiello explained that "we grow strawberries 10 months a year, except July and August as it is impossible to grow this fruit in southern Italy, apart for some mountain areas. What is more, we deliver all year round. At the moment, though, demand exceeds supply."
This year is coming to an end, but the cooperative is already ready to tackle future challenges focusing on the environment, high quality and health of the products, consumers and producer partners.
"Next year, we will renew our varieties in favor of those cultivars that best adapt to our territory, preferring rustic ones that require fewer chemical inputs. We will also increase our organic production and focus more on zero residue so as to supply consumers with more natural and flavorful strawberries."
"We also enhanced the capacity of our refrigerated storage, so much so that we can now refrigerate 100 tons in 2 hours. We have also improved our processing and packaging process."
The company mission to supply consumers with an ethical sustainable product that tastes nice makes Coop Sole a leader in the sector. "We also opted for new packaging solutions that are fully sustainable. The Sì Bon brand is growing on the market, and Italian strawberries are getting more and more recognizable."
"I hope this pandemic will end soon, so that we can meet again in person, attend events and fairs or even simply welcome people to our facilities. There is a strong desire for things to go back to normal and the wish we can all make this Christmas is to win the fight against Covid."
Contacts
Cooperativa Sole
Via della Repubblica n. 70
81030 Parete (Ce) - Italy
Tel.: (+39) 081 5036887
Fax: (+39) 081 5035111
Email: info@coopsole.it
Website: www.coopsole.it