Natura Iblea is specialised in high-quality produce, and is a direct interlocutor for big retail chains. It supplies the main mass retailers in Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Iceland as well as specialised stores both in Italy and abroad. This year's turnover (1st August 2012 - 30th March 2013) has increased by 19.3% with a 16.8% increase in handled volumes.
Natura Iblea's new carrots is a 1 kg package, 20/40 grade.
"Generally, we produce around 2,800 tons of new carrots although this year, because winter was dry, plants failed to germinate, which in turn will reduce yields from 50 tons/ha to 27 tons/ha, and therefore supplies will halve. At the moment, we are shipping a lot of organic carrots to Germany, Austria and Denmark. Carrot prices, either in bags or trays, are really good, more than €0.80/kg ex-works."
Natura Iblea's Velvet Bio asparagus in 500 gram bunches.
"As regards asparagus and green beans, the season has just started and both yields and quality seem good. Demand is rather high, especially for green beans, which we ship mainly to Switzerland in 500 gram bags. The market for asparagus is doing well, especially in Northern Europe, where our velvet asparagus are really popular because of the deep green colour and the high asparagine content."
Natura Iblea's organic green beans is 300 gram flowpack trays.
Natura Iblea will continue selling carrots until mid-July and asparagus and green beans until the end of June.
The second spring
"The second spring I was talking about is almost a plea I make to colleagues and distribution chains in order to defend the organic production of the Community and, therefore, the European territory. My aim is not to be protectionist with respect to producers coming from outside Europe but rather, I would like to safeguard high-quality produce coming from our regions in order to avoid the increase of traditional productions. This is because producing, distributing and selling organic produce in Europe is good for our health and that of our children, and is also good for out territory."
Organic new carrot label for a Finnish client.
"In fact, as of a couple of years, extra-European countries also cultivate great quantities of organic products with lower prices. At first, this may seem ideal for consumers however, it damages the territories where those same consumers live."
"If supply chains had direct relations with biological producers both in Italy and in Europe, it would be possible to create production and processing platforms and shorten the organic supply chain. In fact, whereas extra-European countries are not able to do so, our producers are ready to take such a leap, as they have the processing lines, the graders, colour and quality control, etc. and all of the other machinery needed," concludes Roberto.
Contacts:
Azienda agricola Natura Iblea srl
C.da Marabino
97014 Ispica (RG) - Sicilia - Italy
Tel. (+39) 0932 955696
Fax: (+39) 0932 954489
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.naturaiblea.it
