"The 2025/26 citrus season will go down in history for the damage caused by Cyclone Harry in Sicily, which is incalculable, considering that around 90% of the fruit was still on the trees in mid-January. The tiny amount of oranges that managed to survive it were then hit by storm Oriana in mid-February," reports Giovanni Scavo, sales manager of Il Girasole Soc. Coop.
"For our company and producer members, located in several municipalities in the Catania province, the damage to crops averaged between 50 and 70% of fruit lost."
© Il Girasole soc. coop.
"Added to these high percentages is the fact that, up to now, we have had to discard 40% of the fruit that we have been able to harvest/process and ship. The consequence is a loss of capacity in the processing plants and inevitable errors in the packaging phase. Plus, there is the fact that the operators working on the processing lines are human beings, so it can happen that some bruised or slightly scratched fruit circumvents the rigorous sorting, which then sometimes triggers complaints from the most demanding customers."
© Concetta Di Lunardo | FreshPlaza.com
"In order to avoid possible complaints about the goods and damage to our image, we at Il Girasole have opted to suspend supplies of packaged goods to big retail chains abroad, while we have continued to make small shipments of loose produce (i.e., not in nets) to fruit and vegetable markets. As far as domestic deliveries are concerned, work is proceeding smoothly, albeit at a reduced pace. Our customers are showing us closeness and cooperation, and collections are regular even for the product destined for the processing industry."
© Concetta Di Lunardo | FreshPlaza.com
"On the price front, there would be nothing to complain about if it were a normal year, but since there is very little left, the entire supply chain is suffering. Prices are not sufficient to remunerate our producers, who are hoping for regional and state measures. Now that we are at the beginning of March, we do not know how many days of the campaign we will have left. I personally believe that not many will be able to work until Easter, and we hope above all for a sudden change in prices, even though we are aware of the economic difficulties in which many families find themselves."
"It is worth pointing out that bringing to the table traced products with residues below the permitted limits, as in the case of our Tarocco tardivo Meli and Sant'Alfio, in a terrible year like this one, entails huge costs. Such certainty is not guaranteed by productions coming from non-EU territories, on which, however, we hope strict controls will be put in place like those we ourselves are subjected to."
© Concetta Di Lunardo | FreshPlaza.com
For more information:
Giovanni Scavo +39 337 950 732
Serena Scavo +39 3474242478
Il Girasole Soc. Coop.
Contrada Tre Fontane SNC
95047 Paternò (CT) - Italy
+39 095 623381
[email protected]
www.ilgirasolearance.com
