There is not a lot of produce in circulation, especially in the apricot segment: Demand remains high, and the markets are lively with very good prices. This is also confirmed by Mirco Zoffoli, foreign sales collaborator at Domenico Laghi.
© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.comApricots in single-layer trays
"Apricots are one of our strong points. The produce currently comes from Basilicata and Romagna. We process everything by hand, so that our produce is more ripe and therefore with better organoleptic qualities. In general, a good portion of production is missing: we are talking about 25 to 60%, depending on the company and the area. This, coupled with a lack of apricots even abroad, explains why prices are very high."
© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.com
At the moment, apricots are mostly sold in Italy. From the coming weeks, however, exports to Switzerland and Austria will also begin. The packaging is of different types: The premium lines are packaged in single-layer black baskets and with larger-sized fruits of at least 45+. Then there are the punnets, which are placed in the 'Domenico Laghi, 100% Italian product' branded boxes, where the smaller fruits are also placed.
© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.com
"Speaking of grades, so far there have been few 'As' and a lot of 'Bs' and 'Cs' when it comes to peaches and nectarines. Our productions come from Apulia, and we are just starting with Big Bang in Romagna."
"Abroad, customers want premium peaches and nectarines, so we select the larger sizes, just like for the Italian wholesale markets. There is a wide price difference between grades A and B, up to 60-70 cents more for A than for the smaller grade."
Peaches and nectarines are also showing high prices on average because demand is high and quantities are still low, thanks to the hot weather.
© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.com
Returning to apricots, owner Jenny Ghiddi proudly states that: "We can count on some specialised collaborators who, for the entire summer campaign, hand-pack all the apricots (and the Saturn peaches) that pass through our facility. The result is a product that is harvested more ripe, therefore boasting higher organoleptic quality and longer shelf life. And customers, including foreign ones, appreciate this."
At the same time, the shelf life of delicately hand-picked produce is much longer than that of mechanically transported fruit, which means that, despite a higher degree of ripeness, it can be exported without any problems.
For more information
Domenico Laghi Sas
Jenny Ghiddi
Via Cà Mattioli, 2
47122 Forlì FC
+39 0543 722349
[email protected]
