The first plums from southern Italy, characterized by excellent size and flavor, have been reaching markets and supermarkets in the central North. The premises are good, and so are the prices.
Dofi Sandra Plums
"Last Friday we started harvesting Dofi Sandra, a plum variety with a dark skin," says Francesca Gallicchio, director of Gallicchio Frutta. "We get a lot of calls from customers ordering plums. Last year the demand was not very good, but now the season looks promising. Prices are immediately 40% higher and vary according to quality, size and packaging. Right now, Dofi Sandra sizes fluctuate between 50 and 70 mm."
Francesca Gallicchio
Thanks to its many varieties, the company's sales period is very long. The company is preferred by a lot of buyers because of the uninterrupted supply of sufficient quantities. "We expect to harvest about 700 tons of plums. After Dofi Sandra, we'll switch to the different Black varieties in early July, whose harvest will take only two weeks. Then we will continue with the red Fortuna and then with Tc Sun (an intense yellow plum), to conclude with Angeleno starting 20 August, whose sales could continue until late autumn."
Unlike other stone fruit varieties, the plum crop does not seem to have suffered much from the very wet spring. "The crops are in excellent condition. The fruit on the trees is medium-sized and the taste of the first batches seems to be impressing consumers. By the way, the warm weather of the last few days is having a positive impact on consumption and will also further improve the quality of the fruit. We are also receiving requests from abroad, especially from Germany. The plum market looks promising, as confirmed by the first orders and summer has only just begun."
For more information:
Gallicchio Frutta
Via Piemonte n. 36/b
75020 Scanzano Jonico (MT)
335 5872063 (Antonio)
334 8121776 (Francesca)
gallicchiofrutta@gmail.com
gallicchiofrutta.com
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