Kaki Divino ended its campaign sooner than expected

The first year of sales of Rojo Brillante kakis under the Divino brand is drawing to a close. This brand was conceived and designed last spring by Gallicchio Frutta, an Italian company whose core business is the production, processing and marketing of kakis. The company is based in Scanzano Jonico (Matera, Italy).

Francesca Gallicchio, the company's manager, is satisfied with the results of the recently completed season.

"The success was unexpected. We had no idea that the new brand would be so popular in the marketplace. The last boxes were shipped to customers last week. We have doubled the quantities compared to the previous year and we had planned to finish the sales at the end of February, but the number of requests has always been very high, especially from the last ten days of November until the Christmas period. There were days when we'd ship up to 100 pallets a day. These were hectic, but pleasant moments.”

In the first year since its introduction, 1,350 tons were sold under the Divino brand, while just over 4 tons were sold with the traditional black kaki tray that the company initially used to sell these fruits. Persimmons ranged in size from 270 to 350 grams.

"We have maintained an average selling price similar to last year, which has allowed us to adequately reward local producers for their supplies. However, we were able to place all quantities smoothly, despite phytosanitary problems and a delay of about 20 days in the start of the harvest due to the abnormal weather conditions. Most of the product was sold in Calabria, Puglia, Piedmont, Sicily, Campania and Veneto, both through large distribution channels and wholesale markets. Among the foreign countries, Poland and the Netherlands showed the greatest interest. Many new customers were acquired during the three months of sale."