"The almond tree is not only a rising cultivation in the Italian production scale, it is also our newest addition to the company. In 2015, we foresaw a great potential in the almond production sector in terms of quality, quantity and sales, which is why we decided to plant over 100 hectares. Our aim is to increase the production area to 150 hectares by 2023," said Michele Belli, owner of the Piani della Marina farm in Tarquinia (Lazio, Italy).
Almond cultivation is booming in the Viterbo coastal area, given the growing interest shown by consumers and the market. In recent years, the whole dried fruit sector has been enjoying increasing popularity, but almonds of Italian origin have a superior attractiveness.
The Piani della Marina farm consists of more than six hundred hectares of land, most of which is farmed under extensive arable cultivation. In 2015, an almond tree plantation of over 100 hectares was implemented, based on an intensive and innovative system, both in terms of the planting layout and varietal selection.
"We are only at the beginning of our business project and there is still a lot to do. First and foremost, I would like to increase the production area, because I strongly believe in this crop. I would like to make an investment in facilities and technologies to be able to offer a dried and shelled almond to the market, and then sell it under the company brand. The goal is obviously to produce large quantities of high quality almonds, trying to achieve high and consistent quality standards,” explained entrepreneur Michele Belli.
Agronomist David Tofi described the innovation introduced on the farm: "We decided to opt for an intensive system and we will continue along this path, given the experience gained in recent years, although there is still much to do. The intensive system adapts very well to different areas, applying the right technical and agronomic measures and making a careful choice of varieties and rootstocks. We have planted three varieties, Tuono, Lauranne and Guara, and we have chosen a planting density of 600 plants per hectare, which guarantees long-lasting production and, above all, ensures the longevity of the plants.
"The almond grove is fully mechanized both in terms of plant management and harvesting. Mechanization allows to save on labor costs, harvesting costs, it simplifies the management of cultivation operations and the large extensions allow to absorb the cost of purchasing machines,” explained Tofi.
"The new season, which has just started, is very promising. We are gearing up for the first harvest with the almond grove in full production. In addition, we are carrying out various projects aimed at enhancing and differentiating our product on the market,” concluded the agronomist.
For more information:
Azienda Agricola Piani della Marina
Località Pian d'Arcione
01016 Tarquinia (VT) - Italy
+39 0766 814159
info@pianidellamarina.it
www.pianidellamarina.it