In the southern Italian region of Apulia, the cherry season traditionally begins in the first days of May, but much will depend on the weather in April. "Everyone is again looking forward to the first cherries from Apulia. In recent days the first calls and emails have been coming in from Italian and foreign companies who are starting to plan their supply for the new season. Our list is very extensive, with ever more resistant varieties. We usually start with the early ripening Rita, Bigarreau Burlat and Moreau cherries. Then we continue with Giorgia, Grace and Black Star. And we finish with the famous Ferrovia, which symbolizes our production," explained Bernardo and Giuseppe D'Ambruoso.
Production line
The sector has been in dire straits for some time, and on top of that now comes the instability of the European market because of the well-known geopolitical and macroeconomic reasons. However, the two growers are cautiously optimistic about the near future.
"Due to the harsh climate during almost the entire month of March, with temperatures often below zero at night, the vegetative recovery of the trees has been delayed. However, the mild and sunny weather of the past few days is now bringing everything into gear. In several areas the early varieties are already well into their flowering phase. We will already have a pretty good idea of the size and harvest yields for the coming season around mid-April."
"The uncertain market situation due to the war in Ukraine will certainly affect us, so we think that more than ever we need to ensure high-quality, healthy, certified and carefully selected cherries to the market. Thanks to high-tech optical sorting systems, we can sort out cherries that are damaged by the wind or that have internal defects with almost 100% accuracy."
"We supply our cherries to wholesale markets and supermarket chains in Italy. But we also export products to Germany, Austria, Belgium, Slovenia and Croatia. The quality of our cherries is becoming better appreciated year after year. The Gulf States could also become an important market for all high-quality fruits and vegetables, including cherries." 
The new brand
D'Ambruoso will market this season's cherries under a new brand, called Cirasano. "Adding value to a product also means paying full attention to the natural and social environment in which the cultivation takes place. We place great value on sustainable cultivation. For this reason, we adopt integrated crop protection strategies, with constant monitoring of parasites and the use of traps and active ingredients that are not harmful to the predatory insects."
The company is GlobalGAP Chain of Custody certified.
For more information:
D'ambruoso Fruit and Vegetables
Via dell'Ulivo, 8/12
70014 Conversano (BA) – Italia
+39 080 495 82 60
info@dambruoso.com
www.dambruoso.com