The production and commercial trend of Sicilian table grapes is in line with the usual standards yet, after many years affected by climate issues, disease and more, there is still the problem of the increase of the price of raw materials and technical means.
Calogero Montana
Luckily there are still those who believe in this segment and continue to invest not only in their own productions but also in new species to diversify supplies.
Victoria variety (click here for the full photo album)
This is the case of Montana Groupe, an Italian-French company specializing in table grapes that gathers over 300 operators. Production sites are located in Sicily and cover 190 hectares in total, plus 50 hectares dedicated to citrus fruits. On the island, the company owns land in the Canicattì and Mazzarrone areas, both of which are a point of reference for PGI products. But there is much more, as explained by Calogero Montana, CEO of the group.
Palieri variety
"The Scoglitti (RG) production site was added a few years ago, located a stone's throw from the sea. It boasts 60 hectares of Victoria, Palieri, Black Magic Italia, Red Globe and seedless grapes, as well as late varieties such as Black Pearl, plus additional seedless varieties from the Chiaramonte Gulfi and Ravanusa vineyards. Our table grape season almost always ends in December, in line with the Sicilian production calendar."
Papayas
"The Scoglitti facility is also an experimental center with considerable resources dedicated to consumer trends which, over the past few years, have increasingly been focusing on tropical fruit in addition to traditional ones. We need to understand where Sicilian cultivation is going also in light of climate change. It is a global phenomenon we must consider, and we must adapt and be ready to deal not only with nature, although it is very difficult despite all our efforts, but also with the markets."
Mangoes (click here for the full photo album)
"We are already well-known for commercialization especially in France, thanks to the fact we supply Sicilian produce to the Rungis market. Our R&D efforts are mostly aimed at meeting the demand not only for table grapes (both seeded and seedless), citrus fruit and stone fruit, but also for tropical fruit. That is why we have introduced passion fruit, papaya, mango and avocado crops."
"We put environmental sustainability, the health of our collaborators as well as, of course, food safety always first in everything we do. We autonomously take care of processes ranging from production, packaging, logistics and the commercialization of our produce on the international market."
Passion Fruits
Our interlocutor has also provided us with the average prices of a few table grape varieties at the Rungis market, which represents the main point of reference for Montana Groupe: "Over the past few days, quotations hovered between €1.80-2.00/kg for Black Magic; €1.80-2-30/kg for Victoria; €2.00-2.30/kg for Red Globe. These prices started in July and were slightly higher than in previous year. The situation will further improve with the French coming back from their holidays."
For further information:
Montana Groupe
70 Rue de Montpellier
94650 - Rûngis France
+33 612 9748 69
+33 146 8723 29
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
