"It is a pretty good year for Sicilian cucumber, with grower prices holding up in the midst of a less stable environment for other references," says Fabrizio Adamo. This grower from Vittoria expresses contentment but is certainly not crowing victory yet. "The cucumber market is traditionally very volatile, and prices can completely turn around in a few days."
Fabrizio Adamo
On a total of 7,000-meter square, of which nearly all greenhouses are made of steel, Adamo also grows tomatoes. "But ToBRFV has forced me to diversify. In the meantime, I have now had some nice results with cucumbers of the Sumun variety, and so I will probably continue with this cucumber in the future."
"This year, the weather conditions helped us a lot," he says. "Thanks to a warm November month, when the planting took place, fruiting went well. During the first 45-day-cycle harvest, the weather was cold, which helped sales. The product started with a price of around €0.60 per kilo, but at one point, we were heading towards €1.30. Currently, prices have stabilized at €0.90-1.00, and hopefully, we can maintain this level until the end of the season. We expect to harvest the last cucumbers at the end of May. This cucumber is highly appreciated in central and northern Italy, where the trading companies we supply have their customers."
"Cucumber is by nature a rather delicate plant, so it is important to control the climate in the greenhouse. It shouldn't be too humid, but it shouldn't be too dry, either. Therefore, a balance must always be found in the irrigation so that the plant does not get diseases or water stress, as this results in cucumbers with a bitter aftertaste."
For more information:
Azienda Agricola Fabrizio Adamo
Vittoria (RG) – IT
Tel.: +39 333 9158 507
fabrizioadam@libero.it