Entrepreneur Antonio Benzi and his collaborator Mirco Zoccoli report that the strawberries produced by Benzi in Cesena are demanded not only by the domestic big retail chain, but also by Switzerland, Austria and Sweden. Benzi grows 600thousand plants of the Sibilla variety, 200thousand of which are protected and 400thousand grown in open fields.
Antonio Benzi and Mirco Zoffoli in a strawberry field (May 7th, 2021)
"We started harvesting on April 23rd and will continue until mid-June. Sibilla is a medium-late variety, meaning we avoided the terrible frost of March and April. I believe the total damage did not exceed 10%."
Antonio Benzi
Benzi commercializes its own strawberries at the Rimini wholesale market. Most of the produce is sold to Italian and foreign big retail chains, with the help of Mirco Zoffoli. "We have been doing a good job with Switzerland. Local importers stop imports as soon as the local production becomes available. This year, the Swiss campaign is late so our sales are continuing. The produce destined abroad is approximately 30% of the total."
Mirco Zoffoli
Thanks to the good shelf-life, Sibilla strawberries reach Sweden with a good texture. "I opted for a single variety because it guarantees a good productivity, texture and Brix level. There is no room for bland strawberries with a poor texture, at least this is my experience with the big retail chains."
A poly-tunnel in the Cesena area
Compared to a normal year, the production is around ten days late, which might be avoiding overlaps with other areas. "Prices are good, around €3.50-3.60/kg."
"One of the problems when it comes to Italian strawberry cultivation is that there are many varieties, which often do not taste nice. I admit mine was a drastic choice as it leads to many complications, especially when it comes to sourcing labor, but clients want uniformity, not mixed loads of different strawberries that are difficult to manage."
For further information:
Benzi Frutta
Via Capannaguzzo 830
47521 Cesena FC
+39 0547 59543
benzifrutta@gmail.com