The radicchio season is looking very complex this year. Roberto Bolla, owner of "Bolla Ferdinando", one of the biggest players in the Italian radicchio and brassica sector, reports that: "Despite the good areas allocated to these vegetables, yields per hectare are very low due to the rainfall that hit the north of Italy in October."
"The early drop in temperatures in September must also be taken into account, as it caused very low yields for the round radicchio varieties, i.e. less than 10 tonnes per hectare. The situation is instead slightly better for long radicchio."
Variegated radicchio was also affected by the weather: the heads did not 'close', and the leaves lacked the typical mottled coloring.
"Prices have risen sharply in recent weeks, and I believe they will rise again, especially because many companies that produce and process this product have very low stocks in cold storage units, yields are also very low and the quality is not always satisfactory."
"Brassicas are not doing much better. Cabbages have always maintained a high average price. In this case, too, the heavy rains that fell in the autumn caused quite a bit of damage, decimating production. The produce from Abruzzo and Apulia is of good quality at the moment, but it will certainly finish earlier than usual."
"The situation is similar for white and red cabbage and for Savoy cabbage: little produce is available and below average sizes, with high prices for both the Italian and the Dutch product. The latter also has very high producer prices. With regard to white cauliflowers, the produce from Apulia/Abruzzo is struggling to ripen, quantities are below average for the period and prices are high. At the same time, availability in Brittany is ridiculously low and prices are very high."
"Despite the above-mentioned problems, we will still have quantities of radicchio and brassicas available until the new production becomes available in May in the north. These are difficult years as far as production is concerned: the ever-higher costs and increasingly unpredictable weather discourage producers from investing. For our part, we always try to supply our customers throughout the year while paying our producers a fair amount both in economic terms and for their time."
For more information:
Bolla Ferdinando s.r.l.
Via Perazzolo 13/b
37032 Monteforte d'Alpone (VR) - Italy
+39 045 7612025
[email protected]
www.bollaferdinando.it
