Giacomo Rizzo is the CEO of SPO Zentrum which, among other things, consists of different production sites in Sicily and an extremely well-organised distribution platform in Tuscany. He claimed, “In these days, we have started the harvesting of the Tarocco red-orange. We are expecting a great campaign in terms of both yield and quality”.
Paola and Giacomo, co-owners of the SPO Zentrum Group
Rizzo continued, “As opposed to our competitors, we farm our Tarocco oranges in the Vittoria area thus giving us a nice boost. Here, the sandy fields make the pedoclimatic conditions very suited for citrus fruit farming – especially in this year which has been rich in rainfall. Our fields can absorb great quantities of rainwater without any consequences for the plant. Sicilian citrus groves have been affected by the heavy rains occurred during October and November. For us, they did not represent a problem at all”.
Giacomo Rizzo in his citrus in Vittoria
The CEO clarified, “Of course, suitable fields are not enough. 70% of the production is achieved by the farming techniques. The plant must have everything it needs. This is what matters. Thanks to our care, organised distribution considers us as a very reliable partner”.
Squiscily branded citrus fruit, marketed through the online channel: www.squisicily.it
Rizzo stated, “We plan our production according to the supplies. Therefore, there is no room for improvisation. Oftentimes, we produce oranges which are already sold”.
Lemons and other citrus fruits
“This year, we introduced the White Zagara, 2KR and Verna lemon varieties in our Marsala and Vittoria sites. These varieties will surely be very successful as they are demanded by our marketing partners. The company devotes 20 hectares to lemon farming and 190 hectares to the orange farming”.
The company can count on a very solid production of Tardivo di Ciaculli mandarine variety. Although this fruit has seeds, it is a traditional Sicilian produce which is very highly demanded because of its unique aroma and taste.
The SPO Zentrum platform in Sesto Fiorentino
Also, the production of Nova and the Tacle clementine-like variety is very interesting. Within this context, this fruit represents an actual experimental produce, “but the end-consumers loved it and therefore the MMRs as well”, the entrepreneur said. Finally, part of the company’s surface is devoted to the farming of the Star Ruby grapefruit variety.
The strength of SPO Zentrum
The philosophy of SPO Zentrum and Giacomo Rizzo allows the company to guarantee produce along every step of the supply chain, starting from a wide product range produced on more than 230 hectares. The supply chain consists of 4 Sicilian farming company, 3 pre-processing plants located within the companies themselves and one stocking, packaging and logistics platform located in Sesto Fiorentino. Thanks to this, the Group guarantees a shipment time of 6-24 hours to all customers.
Info:
Gruppo S.P.O. Zentrum
Via Di Pratignone 11
50019 - Sesto Fiorentino (FI) - Italy
Tel.: +39 055 373482
Fax: +39 055 308203
Email: info@spozentrum.it
Web: www.spozentrum.it
Store online: www.squisicily.it