"Blueberries in Piedmont: the campaign has just begun"

"We started just a few days ago because the weather was not favorable at all. The night temperatures were low, and it was raining. We're waiting for good weather to return to speed up harvesting and packaging," says Giuseppe Ribotta, who founded the Ribotta Group agricultural cooperative in 2014 in Revello, in the Italian province of Cuneo. He's referring to the blueberry season, which has just begun and is expected to end in mid-to-late July.

On the left: Giuseppe Ribotta. On the right: 125-gram packages of Duke blueberries.

The quality in the field is currently excellent. "We have one of the best blueberries in Europe, grown at the foot of Monviso," Ribotta continues. "The rain came at a time when the product could not be damaged, as it was not yet ripe. This year's production has increased, but the total volume in Piedmont should be at the same level as last year."

There is still uncertainty about prices: sales will officially start next week

"We hope the market will react well. We should start with good prices and hope to maintain them throughout the season. With the Spanish campaign coming to an end, the current demand for the product is good." In addition to Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Italy, there are plans to try to export Piedmontese products to overseas markets by air. "But everything is still a work in progress," says Ribotta. "We are trying to diversify the destinations from competitors that will soon start or have already started, such as Serbia."

The main and most popular variety is Duke, which is characterized by a very sweet taste, good size and excellent shelf life. It is followed by the Draper variety.

"According to the market demand, we increase the acreage every year. We focus on product quality, and the uniqueness of the area is our trump card. Innovative varieties are being considered, but they do not yet meet our business needs. So, it could be economically counterproductive to go down paths with objectives that do not match ours."

A practical snack: blueberries as blue pearls
"At the moment, it is inconceivable to launch more than a 500-gram format of blueberries because of the high retail price and the difficulty of consuming larger quantities per family," concludes Ribotta. "The most popular packages are 125- and 250-gram packages. We also make 300- and 400-gram packs, which are quite successful, up to 500-gram packs, mainly under the Ribotta Group brand."

Images provided by the company.