With about a thousand members in the province of Lecce, Apulia - Italy, the Cooperative Acli Racale is specialized in the production of olive oil, potatoes and watermelons.
The annual yield of potatoes is 2,500-3,500 tons of tubers. “We produce mainly new potatoes, Sieglinde - a typical product of the area, appreciated in Northern Europe, above all in Germany - as well as Annabelle and Nicola. We start the campaign at the end of February/the beginning of March with the very early potatoes cultivated in greenhouses and we continue with those in open field from the second half of March till the end of July,” Enzo Manni, marketing manager of the cooperative, says.
“This year yield was low due to the bad weather conditions and this favoured the prices, up to 0.75 Euro/kg. However, since April there has been a drop in prices (0.50 Euro/kg). Then there have been more products and prices have been lower and lower (0.35 Euro/kg). Yesterday prices were 0.15-0.20 Euro/kg.
“Products from Germany have fixed prices while in Italy it depends on the supply,” Enzo explains. “So when stocks were full, potatoes were traded to Eastern Europe at unsatisfactory prices.”
“Our problem is coordination: if we had adequate supply we could keep fixed prices,” Enzo concludes.
At its two warehouses (a surface of about 3,000 m²), the cooperative Acli grades, sorts and packs potatoes according to customers’ needs, in 12kg, 15kg, 25kg jute bags or in 12.5kg wooden boxes. The cooperative also provides smaller sizes.
The cooperative Acli exports its potatoes mainly to Germany and Eastern European countries, thanks to importers, wholesalers and big retail.
Contact:
Enzo Manni
Enzo Manni
Soc. Agr. Coop. ACLI - Racale
Via Provinciale Racale - Ugento km 1,1
73055 Racale (Lecce) - Italy
Phone: +39 (0)833 551848
Fax: +39 (0)833 583484
Email: [email protected]