Innovation is the order of the day for a seed company, but improving a species is not so easy. It requires research work, which is very time-consuming and expensive; it requires expertise and, above all, it requires a global vision.
© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.comPhoto of the Cora Seeds team in Battipaglia (Click here for the photo gallery!)
These were some of the concepts that emerged on 11 November 2025, during the Cora Seeds open day held at the Altamura company in Battipaglia (Salerno). The event continued the following day with customers, technicians, and operators not only from Campania but also from other neighbouring regions.
© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.com Foreign sales manager Marco Galié
"China, Russia, and the United States are some of the countries where we have significantly increased sales in recent years. In addition, we are also growing strongly in Eastern Europe, e.g., Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Ukraine, as well as in Central Asian countries such as Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Onions, watermelons, and tomatoes are some of the products we export the most," began foreign sales manager Marco Galié
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© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.comNorthern Italy Area Manager Stefano Buttarelli
Northern Italy Area Manager Stefano Buttarelli explained that "customers demand varieties that can withstand periods of high stress caused by the climate. It is also important to have the bremia and fusarium resistance package, and for the variety to adapt to the needs of processors."
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© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.comCentral-Southern Italy Area Manager Marco Landi
Central-Southern Italy Area Manager Marco Landi explained that "here in the Sele Valley, the conditions are ideal for baby leaf production. Up until 20 years ago, the area was mostly destined to strawberries and stone fruit, then there was a drastic change, and now almost all the available land is protected by tunnels for almost uninterrupted cultivation, except during the hottest summer months."
© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.comRaffaella Costa (researcher of rocket and fennel) and Luigi Cirimela (rocket and leek)
Breeders Luigi Cirimela and Raffaella Costa took stock of the research on rocket. "We are focusing a lot on high downy mildew tolerance and, in this respect, there are two selections at an advanced stage, i.e., CMX 363 and 361. But we have very interesting material also in the fight against Fusarium, such as 285. In Piana del Sele, the Karina variety is one of the most widespread, and growers have found a reliable partner in Cora Seeds."
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© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.comGao Kang (lettuce breeder)
On the lettuce front, Gao Kang is the researcher who has been guiding Cora's breeding programmes since 2018: "Customers are looking for resistance, but also for characteristics such as colour, thickness, and leaf brilliance, depending on the intended use of the product. And we aim to please them."
© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.comFilippo Nerio and Daniele Marconato of Agricola Italiana
Also present at the technical day was the Padua-based company Agricola Italia, well known in the area for its seeders. Filippo Nerio and Daniele Marconato of Agricola Italiana said that "one of the characteristics of our company is that we study and understand customer needs, and then make truly tailor-made seeders, also based on the type of farm and soil. Our market is export-oriented and, in some cases, we have built seeders that would be oversized for the Italian market."
The word to the customers
The technical day was hosted at the Altamura company, where Cora Seeds has its experimental fields. For 23 years, the brothers Giuseppe, Alfonso, and Fabio Altamura have been producing fresh-cut products on 180 hectares, plus a further 350 hectares of contributing members.
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© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.comGiuseppe Altamura
"It is a pleasure for us to host this event, as we see considerable dynamism in Cora Seeds. At Altamura, we export over 90% of our produce. In this period, the weather is not giving us a hand; in fact, the market is stable while total production is higher than demand," emphasised Giuseppe Altamura.
© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.comCarmine Granito (Italian Leaf)
Moving on to Op Italian Leaf, Agronomic manager Carmine Granito explained that "our group has about 600 hectares under cultivation. Right now, we have several varieties of Cora, including the Maverik lettuce. We produce all types of baby leaves that are used to compose bags and trays."
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© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.comDonato Fulgione (Valcalcer)
The group visited the Valcalcer company, which produces all, or almost all, types of mulch. "In winter, our cultivation is 60% rocket, 25% spinach, 15% lettuce, and the remainder is miscellaneous products. We get on very well with spinach from Cora Seeds and, together with rocket, we export almost all of them," explains technician Donato Fulgione.
© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.comVito Cioffoletti (Alphacom)
Agronomist Vito Cioffoletti from Alphacom of the Birolini brothers said that "we growers mainly need productive and hardy varieties. We are working well with Cora Seeds, as you have innovative varieties. When it comes to seed companies, we really appreciate the promptness in responding to our needs, also from a logistical point of view."
For more information:
Cora Seeds Srl
Via Boscone, 1765/A
47522 Cesena (FC)
+39 0547 385166
[email protected]
www.coraseeds.com
