The Wonderful pomegranate campaign is proceeding at Azienda Agricola Castagnino in Crotone, Calabria. "We started harvesting in early October and we are almost done. The produce will be commercialized until the new year thanks to storage in our units according to plans that are almost entirely defined and which help us a lot, considering the increase in logistic and storage costs," reports the company owner Giuseppe Castagnino.
Alessandro and Giuseppe Castagnino at Macfrut 2023
"Quality has been good so far, though the rain in May and June affected the first round of blossoming, so we could count only on the second and third. Quality was good thanks to the fact that there were fewer fruits on the trees, while volumes are 30% less than in past years."
"The first-choice production destined to the fresh produce market from around 10 hectares reached 140 tons. We also have a small share destined to the processing industry, around 20-30%."
Castagnino's Wonderful pomegranates are distributed in crates holding 6 to 10 fruits to Italian wholesale markets in Roma, Bologna, Milan and Verona as well as abroad, especially to Germany and the Netherlands. "Outside the Italian border, we have to deal with competition from Turkey, Tunisia and Morocco, as they manage to dominate the markets with their abundant quantities. The appearance of their fruits is also better than ours, as the plant protection products we can use are very limited. Although more aesthetically pleasing, the Turkish, Tunisian and Moroccan produce is powerless against the large grades and internal quality of our pomegranates."
"Large grades are much appreciated and rewarded in the Netherlands and Germany. The situation is instead more confused on the Italian market. Those who do not have the option to store the produce in refrigerated units jeopardize their sales. The market is flooded with pomegranates between late October and early November, and we try not to ship the produce not to devalue it."
Photos provided by Giuseppe Castagnino
For further information:
Giuseppe Castagnino
Azienda Agricola Castagnino
Via C.da Foresta, 17/C Scandale (loc. Corazzo)
88831 Crotone - Italy
+39 393 8904620
[email protected]
