In the Sicilian province of Agrigento, the Victoria grape produced in greenhouses close to the sea is ripening slightly earlier than other early varieties, such as Black Magic and some seedless grapes. This year it is not about the usual late May/early June start, but the advantage over the other varieties still remains significant, according to Salvatore Lodico, owner of the company of the same name in Canicattì that is specialized in growing high-quality fruit.
Salvatore Lodico
"This year the first grapes have a Brix value as high as 14 and there has been a very good demand from Italian and overseas retailers since the beginning," says Salvatore Lodico. "Sales are balanced and we expect that this will be the same during the early varietal season, which will last until the end of August this year due to slower ripening. That is when the season of our flagship variety, the Italia grape, will start. It is very sought after not only in our country, but also in France, our main foreign market. The quality is high, albeit with smaller volumes. We therefore expect an excellent season for the Italia grape in terms of quality and, even though it is still too early to make accurate predictions, we are already very optimistic."
Energy-efficient warehouse/packing station
"We have made significant investments in seedless varieties in recent years. Both the red and white seedless varieties have been very well received on the market ever since the first batches. The harvest is gradually gaining speed and we are quite satisfied with both production and profitability. Moreover, our area has not been adversely affected by the rather erratic weather, which has fortunately been a factor that has favored our company's production plants, while other companies are actually behind with their production. Another advantage is the absence of southern hemisphere product. There is currently not much overlap with our volumes," continues the expert.
"Victoria grapes, at the moment, have production quotations ranging from €0.80 to €1.20/1.30 per kg," he says. "They are already down compared to a few weeks ago, when they were €1.40/1.80 per kg. The quotations for Black Magic are still being defined, as are those for the seedless ones. However, this is a good start, and we hope that the quotations can remain like this for the producers.
Climate-controlled warehouses
"Our company has long embraced the themes of sustainable horticulture and technological transition," concluded Lodico. "We have a solar panel installation that allows us to have a neutral carbon footprint, with negative energy consumption at the packing station in Canicattì. Soon, we will commission another 2-megawatt installation that will reduce the environmental impact of electricity consumption to zero and will allow us to supply electricity into the supply network, which will diversify our revenues."
For more information:
Soc. Agr. Lodico S.S.
Via Petrassi, 12
92024 Canicattì (Ag) - Italy
+39 333 2454985
[email protected]
