"The trend for winter vegetables is disappointing and the market is under the influence of the weather, with prices below average compared to other years. Demand is not excessive compared to the abundant supply on both national and European markets. Consequently, sales trends and quotations are in line.
In terms of consumption, however, the demand remains low, because of the lack of supplies to restaurants and local markets. Moreover, many consumers grow vegetables in their own gardens and, in addition, weather conditions so far have not encouraged the consumption of winter vegetables," said Antonio Agizza, owner of the company Agizza Ciro, in the Italian province of Caserta.
Source: FreshPlaza archive
"We have seen a strong boost in revenue this year, both in Italy and abroad. As the climate is changing worldwide, there is currently still a lot of domestic product in several European countries. On top of that, Spain is becoming a strong competitor in the markets, especially with regard to white cabbage".
"Even in Campania, we are seeing higher yields, so much so that many companies have planted brassicas this year, both because these references have little impact on labor, and also in order to diversify the crop cycle. This has led to a drop in prices, with quotations for white cabbage being really low, but more gratifying for the romanesco. The latter reference is almost a niche market".
Photo: Agizza Ciro farm
"Finally, it is expected that most of the crop will reach its full ripening stage in a matter of weeks. However, if the weather conditions do not change and if cold temperatures arrive (moderate temperatures and excessive rainfall do not help the brassicas), we will not see any significant variation, with the exception of a few small price fluctuations," concluded Antonio Agizza.