Fears of a cold and rainy spring after a mild winter

There continues to be concern about the climatic conditions that have marked this Sicilian citrus campaign, with temperatures high for the seasonal average and the alarming prospect of a cold spring full of atmospheric precipitation. Some concern comes from the Di Pasquale brothers, known as the founders of the Donnalia brand.

Vincenzo and Angelo Di Pasquale

The production
"We are in the middle of the harvesting campaign for the PGI Sicilian Blood Orange," say Angelo and Vincenzo Di Pasquale. "The product is once again characterized by excellent organoleptic qualities; however, the weather has strongly influenced the gauge, which in our case has led to a very high percentage of waste in the selection, in order to satisfy our business partners. We wanted to come as close as possible to the usual standards in our deliveries, even if for the most part they are still lower, by making ourselves bear the burden of supporting that part of the merchandise that does not conform. In fact, the aim is to give continuity to the good reputation of a brand like Donnalia, which does not take any shortcuts when it comes to reliability."

Marketing
"This is a very special year," continue the two brothers, "but our product has excellent coloration, both inside and out, and an excellent Brix level. Certainly, Donnalia is doing its part again this year by marketing a product that performs very well in terms of appearance and taste. Thanks to the strong demand from large retailers, we are also able to sell the smaller sizes, with prices ranging from €0.80 to €2.00 for the larger sizes."

Worries about summer fruit
"If the commercial citrus season continues for us without any major hiccups," conclude Donnalia's founders, "in the coming weeks we will see the first blossoming of our fruit production, which we await with some concern. The risk is that we will experience exactly what happened last year in our area, that is to say that we will end up with cold and rainy weather in late spring, and perhaps some unfortunate hailstorms, so that part of the harvest will be compromised."