Giacomo Suglia (APEO and Fruitimprese)
"Italy: "I see a risk of future surplus for seedless grapes"
Compared to 2011, the commercial season opened with producer prices slightly higher: between 0.70 and 1.10 Euro for seedless grapes, while those with seeds, after an initial remuneration of 0.80 to 0.90 Euro obtained from early varieties, have settled at around 40-60 cents.
However Suglia warns: "These values should be compared with the situation of the production costs, which have soared this year because of the drought that struck Italy in the summer months, resulting in higher costs of irrigation. Energy consumption for the extraction of ground water were 20% higher compared to 2011. In addition, the high temperatures of the period (even 36-40°C for several straight days) led to smaller grapes sizes, with consequently lower volumes. On the other hand, the heat has a beneficial effect on the sugar content of the grapes, which is particularly high."
From what emerges in terms of selling prices, there was therefore a higher profitability for seedless grapes than with seeds. Giacomo Suglia, however, warns producers: "I see a real risk of future seedless grapes overproduction. Many manufacturers, in fact, attracted by the remuneration, are expanding the vineyards of these varieties without any programming, with the risk of saturating the market. Already this year we realized that, when the offer of similar grapes grown in Greece and Spain began, the Italian product had no alternative but to remain stored in cold rooms, with the result that we are becoming "producers of cold" rather than merchants of grapes."
Paradoxically, according to Suglia, in a world where the supply of table grapes is increasingly oriented towards the seedless types, it is the grapes with seeds, typical and inimitable Italian production, to be the exception: "The seedless grapes have always existed in nature. Like Sultana grapes, for example. Experimentation has also allowed us to improve and extend the offer. However, if we look at the grapes with seeds, there is only one country in the world capable to bring an excellent product on the market: Italy, and in particular our region, Puglia, together with Sicily and Basilicata. And do not think there is no market for this product!"
Giacomo Suglia refers in fact that in the Middle East, the demand for grapes with seeds is growing: "In that part of the world, the market is literally upside down, the grapes with seeds are considered a novelty, not those without seeds."