"We deal with international competition every day, and we do so focusing on the compliance with food security regulations and on the intrinsic quality of our products," explains Sebastiano Ventura, president of OP Antudo, which specializes in the production of greenhouse vegetables (mainly table tomatoes), nuts and table grapes.
Sebastiano Ventura
"Our competitors abroad are Spain, Greece, Turkey, Maghreb and California. Most of these countries manage to maintain lower prices on the market which, especially outside of the EU, are due to lower production and labor costs and to the use of chemicals not allowed within the EU. Nonetheless, we keep focusing on product quality and on organic almonds."
O.P. Antudo is a cooperative located in Chiaramonte Gulfi (RG), Sicily, which deals with fresh fruit, floriculture, PDO oil olives from the Hyblaean Mountains and much more.
"The cooperative gathers over 200 members covering 350 hectares all over Sicily. All almond producers employ organic cultivation techniques. Productions are taken to the Abiomed PO in Ragusa, a producer organization recognized on a regional level which boasts the highest turnover of all southern Italy. When it comes to nuts and floriculture, Antudo is part of Integrated Projects of the Regional Development Plan 2014-2022."
"The aim of the projects is to enable the integration of all chain segments (production, processing and commercialization) and to make production sectors more competitive on the globalized market, promote all information and training activities, promote the productions and advocate innovation on a managerial, organizational, process and product level."
The reference markets for the fresh produce are the local (50%), domestic (central-northern Italy, 30%) and foreign one (20%). For almonds, 50% of the product is destined to the foreign market, with 30% sent to the domestic market and 20% to local markets. In the past year, the PO produced 600 tons of almonds, 700 tons of tomatoes, 400 tons of grapes, 400 tons of zucchini, 300 tons of bell peppers, 200 tons of eggplants and 250 tons of mixed produce (tangerines, peaches, cauliflowers).
As a consistent increase in the number of producers is expected with doubled production areas, the harvest will also double. The main varieties are: Tuono 50%, Filippo Ceo and Genco 20%, Pizzuta and Fascionello 5%, while the remaining 25% is made up by lesser varieties such as Vairo, Lauranne, Comune, Ferragnes, etc.
For further information: 
O.P. Antudo
Società Agricola Cooperativa
Contrada Cirito Case ventura snc
97012 Chiaramonte Gulfi (RG) - Italy
+39 0932 926165
+39 320 885 9314
info@opantudo.com