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Italy: Organic rocket and baby leaf from Piana del Sele Europewide

Pierpaolo Maisto’s firm in Pontecagnano Faiano (Salerno, Italy), as many other firms situated in Piana del Sele, is specialized in different types of fresh-cut salads, first of all in wild rocket (they have been cultivating since 2006), but also in red and green Baby leaves, Baby spinach, oriental salads such as tatsoi, Mizuna, Red Chards, Bulls Blood, green and red Pak choi.


Baby spinach.

“The firm is situated on 46 hectares of land under cover,” Bettina Apicella, sales manager, explains. “Maisto company has been using only the organic production method since 2008 and during winter - high production season - it also offers Italian chicory (Chioggia variety), Batavian and curly endive. Recently, in order to meet some customers’ needs, we have started to offer various kinds of organic herbs, like parsley, basil, thyme, mint, dill, rosemary, chervil.”


Red chard.

“The company is growing, in 2012 it took part to Fruit Logistica in Berlin as a partner of the association of producers APOC SALERNO.”


Green Pak choi.

“We aim to satisfy of customers - Bettina goes on - and have a relationship of mutual trust, we are willing to satisfy any demand about packaging size, packing, logistics, etc. Moreover, I can speak four languages so I can deal with customers and their particular requirements directly.”


Bulls blood.

Products are selected by expert staff, transferred to the storehouses where they are packed in 120g and 125g punnets, in 125g and 250g bags, in 1 kg carton boxes or loose for the industry use.


Rocket in a 125g punnet.

Our main customers are big foreign distributors; products are exported to Germany, Switzerland, Austria, United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Russia.


Baby spinach in a 125g bag.

“Last season, characterized by a cold winter, started very late, prices were lower than the previous year, and it was very difficult for our company, as for all the other operators in the fruit and vegetable sector,” Bettina Apicella explains.

“I have also noticed that demand for rocket is lower than for baby leaves and pre-packed mixed salads. In particular, in the last season baby spinach was highly demanded, almost a competitor to rocket.”

“As far as the demand is concerned, we prefer working with fixed prices all season long, in order to better organize the production. For example, we have supplied supermarkets for some years and we have been establishing fixed prices for all the winter season that take in account packing, products and destination.”

“We export all over Europe, working with supermarkets, wholesalers, processing and retailers,” Bettina goes on. “We work with some of them in winter while we work in the summer period as well with our long-standing customers.”


Oriental mix 125g punnet.

“This summer we are introducing organic herbs, sending samples to our customers, in order to push their trade together with baby leaves. Feedback from the industry is positive since customers try to fill shelves with more products in order to present a wider choice of items.”


Biopoker mix in 1kg box.

Organic seeds are carefully selected and treatments which are non-harmful for both man and the environment are used. Products present the following certifications BioAgricert, GlobalGAP, Bio-Suisse and "AB".

“We aim to produce a 'healthy and high quality' product and we are looking for new ideas to make our products more interesting and variable,” Bettina Apicella concludes.

“We are facing the next season positively and hopefully, in order to offer more services and products for the organic sector.”

The company is active on tacler (www.tacler.com).

Contact:
Bettina Apicella
Azienda biologica Maisto
Via Lago Lucrino, 7
84098 Pontecagnano Faiano (SA)
Phone: +39 89203550
Fax: +39 892036106
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.aziendabiologicamaisto.it
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