The situation is not that bad for soft fruit, at least at Sant'Orsola. FreshPlaza has talked about it with director Matteo Bortolini.
"2021 is coming to an end and, although this has been the second year we have had to deal with the pandemic, we cannot but accept this new world and find new ways to restart."
"The soft fruit market has restarted its growing trend and demand for the new products and package-sizes has skyrocketed. Raspberries remain the most prestigious, while blueberries have undoubtedly seen the highest increase in volumes. While requests from clients and distributors are constant, we have noticed an increasing interest from final consumers."
The higher the knowledge about a product, the more it becomes popular. "This is what's happening for blackberries and red currants. What is more, red currants are included in many recipes this time of year."
Sant'Orsola is constantly growing when it comes to production. "This is due to the hard work of our partners and technicians who, on top of experimenting with new varieties, focus on increasing yields and fruit quality. Raspberries are now available all year round in the north as well as in the south of the country, while currants are still mostly produced in the north, as they need cold temperatures."
The company is currently working to be able to produce blackberries all year round. "We are currently still experimenting with few volumes however, as this is still the beginning, we want to accompany this growth in consumption making high-quality fruits available every month."
2022 will start with an increase in the cost of all raw materials, starting with the energy and down to packaging and transport. "We are worried about it, as the income available to families will not change, so there could be negative repercussions on consumption."
For further information:
Sant'Orsola Soc. Coop. Agricola
Via per Trento 11/e
38057 Pergine Valsugana (TN)
+39 0461 518111
www.santorsola.com