"The harvest is in full swing now. Our melon is making the most out of the weather and there is high demand both from abroad and from Italy, also thanks to the zero-residue certification," says Christopher Bernardi, of the Ortofrutta Bernardi company in Rimini.
Francesco Fabbri, Christopher Bernardi and Armando Aruci
Bernardi is relying heavily on melons, for which he has also increased sales abroad. Orders show that more than 50 per cent of the product is exported across borders. In view of this, he planted about 40 per cent more land this year than in 2022, amounting to a total of 50 hectares.
5-piece package with wrapper
Looking abroad, "Germany, Austria and central and northern European countries are growing markets for us, with a big leap forward only in the last year. Certifications are highly valued abroad and we monitor all processes.
Packaging with sticker labels
"The fact that we sell large quantities of what we produce from our own farm of over one hundred hectares, is another factor that in our favor,” says Bernardi.
"The fact that most of the sold product comes from our farm of over one hundred hectares, is another factor in our favor," says Bernard.
Christopher Bernardi
Net melons and smooth-skinned melons are harvested until mid-September, yellow melons until the end of the same month. "The peak period takes place from mid-July to mid-August. Despite the adverse weather conditions in May, we were able to keep any diseases under control and stay within the parameters of zero residue. However, in the last two months, we have benefited from better weather and the quality of the fruit is excellent," says Francesco Fabbri, cultivation technician at the company.
Zero residue is also possible thanks to meticulous cultivation techniques. Among these, one must mention the use of beneficial insects. "We are still conducting tests, but the results are very encouraging."
The Anguria di Romagna brand
Furthermore, Bernardi also has mini watermelons in its product line. "We have created a special label, Anguria di Romagna, to get the most out of our products," he concluded.
For more information: 
Bernardi srl
Via San Martino
in Riparotta 5T
47922 Rimini
+39 0541 740436
[email protected]
www.ortofruttabernardi.it
