"It looks like plants are really productive this year – we managed to harvest around 20 tons of Inspire strawberries every day, even though the season is coming to an end. We are thinking of replicating what happened last year, so commercialization will continue for another 15 days," reports Demetrio Nicodemo, production manager at Nicofruit, during our visit to the strawberry crops in Pisticci (Matera).
"Grades are still medium-large and the percentage of waste is minimal. All fruits with a grade below 22 mm are destined to the processing industry. Despite the high temperatures, fruits have a shelf life of over one week. 80% of our crops are dedicated to the Inspire cultivar, which we have been growing in single rows for the past 2 years and which has its own brand – Matera®".
"We faced multiple challenges this year, not only due to the pandemic and higher costs, but also because of the lack of labor, especially from late April onwards. The higher cost of raw materials and logistics affected mostly those who, like us, decided to invest a lot on eco-friendly packaging while trying to maintain prices constant. Just think about the compostable Nicofriendly punnet made of pulp, or the recyclable punnet which uses 40% less plastic and is reinforced with cardboard. Both hold 500 grams of produce and are available in many retail chains."
"Demand for strawberries is still very high, especially from domestic big retail chains. We are no longer exporting, as the foreign countries we supplied can now count on their own domestic productions."
"Pallets leave our facility already during the first part of the day to reach markets in northern Italy and be available to consumers as of the next day. A capillary management of logistics means we can be quick with deliveries and always supply fresh produce that is flavorful and perfectly ripe."
For further information:
Frutthera Soc. Coop. Agr.
Via Provinciale, 15
75020 Scanzano Jonico, MT
(+39) 0835 954666
info@frutthera.it
nicofruit.it
facebook/nicofruit.it