The strawberry season at the Italy-based company Il Gusto della Calabria is expected to continue until the first ten days of June. "We have tripled the demand compared to previous years. The prices are basically always good as well as the sales. We hope to continue with our strawberries until 5-10 June, after which we will move on to other crops," said Emilio Tropeano and his wife Alessandra Sgrò (sole administrator) of the southern Italian growing company.
Strawberries, mainly of the Sabrina variety, have an average price of €3.50 per kilo (€7 for the 2 kg trays) in the markets of northern Italy, while the average price in the south is €2.80 per kilo (€5.50 - €6 for the 2 kg trays).
According to company managers, they have not experienced strong pressure from Spain, Morocco or Greece this year. "Our strawberries are good, fresh and healthy and made in Italy. They are grown to the specifications and standards required by distributors, are highly appreciated and have fair prices," said Sgrò.
The team in a greenhouse with Sabrina strawberries. (Pictures provided by Emilio Tropeano of Il Gusto della Calabria).
"All of us Calabrians are very lucky, because our land offers many resources: the sea, the healthy air and the sun. We do our best to preserve these blessings. This is why our cultivation is so detailed and so unique. Our strengths are especially the strawberries and the red onion of Tropea PGI. We do our best to bring something great and unique to the market," said Tropeano. The company sells mainly to the Italian wholesale markets.
Sabrina strawberries throughout Italy "As a Calabrian, I couldn't have made a better choice. The quality of the crop and the guaranteed results are the strengths of this company," said a wholesaler from Reggio Calabria. An operator from Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto (Sicily) added that "The reason why, despite the distance, we choose to work with this company from Calabria is because the crop guarantees and maintains its authentic taste."
Wholesalers from Reggio Calabria (left) and Barcellona Pozzi di Gotto (right).
"The Italian capital clearly offers a variety of choices. But among the various suppliers, Il Gusto della Calabria is the only one that can meet our strawberry needs," said a wholesaler from Rome. "In the many fairs we attended, we had the opportunity to taste different crops from Calabria and elsewhere, but for us Il Gusto della Calabria fulfills all customers' needs thanks to its uniqueness, especially when we talk about strawberries," said another wholesaler from Bologna.
Wholesalers from Rome (left) and Bologna (right)
"You can tell it's a strawberry of the Il Gusto della Calabria at the first bite. For us, it has no equal," said a trader from Verona. "Those who work with this Calabrian company are lucky and know it. Authentic flavors, an incomparable care for their cultivation and a constant striving for perfection," said another dealer from Turin, northern Italy.
Wholesalers from Verona (left) and Turin (right)
"They are the best in the field of strawberries. We have been working with the company from Calabria for a long time and in all these years I have always recognized a special quality, that is the passion for the what they do. Their crops are the result of this love and that is why they are special," said a wholesaler from Catania. "If we had to describe Il Gusto della Calabria with one word, it would be reliability. Their cultivation, especially of strawberries, has an added value that no one can match," said a trader from Milan.
Wholesalers from Catania (left) and Milan (right). (All photos in this article were provided by Emilio Tropeano.)
For more information:
Emilio Tropeano
+39 347 2851429
Il Gusto della Calabria Azienda Agricola Srl
c.da Colamaio 2
89812 Pizzo (VV)
+39 0963 534908
ilgustodellacalabria@hotmail.com
Facebook: ilgustodellacalabriasr