Italian clementines are doing well. The current season cannot be compared with the past ones when it comes to both commercial interest and economic performance. Producers and traders seem pleased and the upcoming festive period is to liven things up further.
Floriano Convertino, sole administrator of Convif in Massafra (Taranto), a company with 45 hectares dedicated to the cultivation of citrus fruit, commented by saying that "we are selling to various Italian and European markets. The situation is the same everywhere: in Milan, Bologna, Brescia, Verona, and even in Germany, Belgium and France. High-quality products with large grades sell immediately. At the moment, wholesale prices for processed produce in central and southern Italy hover around €0.80-0.90/kg, while they exceed €1 in the north. Those of non-processed produce drop to €0.55-0.60/kg compared with the €0.40/kg of a year ago. As usual, demand will skyrocket the week before Christmas and prices will also increase slightly. The mission will be to grab the best batches."
"We haven't harvested a lot of the produce yet due to the delay in ripening caused by the mild fall weather." But, while it's true that demand is lively, it is harder to place grade IV-V and clementines, although they are tasty. These smaller grades are caused by the peaks in temperatures during the summer and by the prolonged drought, which led many growers to delay harvesting operations so that fruits could grow."
For further information:
Azienda agricola Convif
74016 Massafra (TA)
+39 330 880 689 - 099 4000644
convif.agricoltura@libero.it