Italy: Ignazio Tateo on the upside-down cherry campaign 2012
FreshPlaza interviewed Ignazio Tateo, a young businessman who runs the company Tadeo, about the Apulian cherry campaign. It works on 50 hectares in the area of Turi (Bari, Italy), on 30 of them table grapes are cultivated and on the rest cherries are cultivated.
Ignazio confirms what has already been said in previous articles that this year since April low temperatures have damaged main and late cherry varieties while the earlier ones, which were in an advanced state of fruiting and are situated in warmer areas were not harmed.
This led to, as you can see in the four pictures above, a huge starting harvest (trees on the left) which was supposed to go on till the 23rd week of 2012, but actually they will be trying to complete the harvest with trees that have no fruits (trees on the right).
“In a few words”, Ignazio Tateo comments, “it was as if the bad weather harvested in our place! We will be in trouble between the 23rd and 24th week of 2012. It is a pity because of the high quality of the cherries in this campaign. They are nice, without cracking, sweet and well-sized, simply perfect. Prices are still good because of the product’s value. Plus, this is an upside-down campaign because the production is going to fall in the summer season instead of rising, as it usually happens.”
As for the marketing of its product on the Italian market, Ignazio remarks: “We have intensified our relationship with our main national partner: Valfrutta Fresco.”
About the next table grape campaign, Ignazio Tateo confirms they have widened plants of seedless varieties. “We will be harvesting the early seedless varieties about on 15th July. In the last few years we have doubled our table grape production because it let us work a lot and well with the main market in North Europe.”
Contact:
Ignazio Tateo
Tateo Srl
SS 172 dei Trulli
70010 Turi (BA) - Italy
Phone/Fax: +39 (0)80 4514210
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.tateogroup.it