After adverse weather conditions affected southern Italy's main production areas, the weather stabilized, and the quality of strawberries steadily improved. "We had a few complicated weeks," says Mirco Zoffoli, a fruit and vegetable trader at Mi. Frutta. "But now things are improving. In the main production areas, such as the southern Italian regions of Basilicata and Campania, the harvest is satisfactory because the strawberries have finally achieved an acceptable shelf life and organoleptic quality."
Zoffoli works with many foreign countries, especially Switzerland. "Unfortunately, Italy does not determine the international price of strawberries; Spain does. However, the Spanish have experienced worse weather problems than we have this year. Until today, Spanish strawberries were priced at an average of 20-22 euros per 5 kg initially, compared to 24-26 euros for Italian strawberries. We were generally able to maintain a higher price for our high-quality product."
"Of course, this refers to a standard product, not a club variety or one with special processing, such as single-ply, but it is mostly marketed through the main distribution channels."
Zoffoli notes that the club varieties worked well because they did not sell products that did not meet minimum quality standards. "They only sold batches that met the guaranteed minimum standards. This is certainly a sign of fairness and honesty that distinguishes Italian production from others."
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"We are doing well in Switzerland," Zoffoli continues. "I believe we can expect at least two weeks of a lively market due to the increasing quality of the product and the stable weather expected in Switzerland, which will boost consumption."
"Dutch strawberries deserve a mention among Swiss retailers. I was in Switzerland for almost a month, during which I visited many large retail chains and wholesale markets. I saw Dutch strawberries for sale in small quantities, which I would call a niche. They were grown above soil, and they were all the same: perfect, with no quality issues. The price was about three times higher than that of other strawberries."
For more information:
Mi.Frutta
Via Melona, 1047
47522 Cesena - Italy
+39 335 7710710
[email protected]
