Iodice also works in close cooperation with leading seed companies to develop new varieties that combine an extended shelf-life with the unique organoleptic qualities of Italian products.
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"We work as a team," commented sales manager Salvatore Iodice (on the right in the photo below) during a FreshPlaza visit to the company's pepper greenhouses.
The produce is cultivated on 80-100 hectares (in addition to the company's own 20 hectares) and is then processed on optical lines to guarantee a uniform quality. The produce is also packed as required by the clients, and special attention is paid to sustainable types such as Cpr, Ifco, Europool.
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"Our main production areas are north Caserta for peppers, Torcadero lettuce and radishes, Basilicata for summer courgettes, Metaponto and Sicily for peppers and autumn-winter courgettes and south Lazio for spring courgettes," adds agricultural manager Pasquale Iodice (in the photo below).
Leading productions
The company specialises in the production of peppers, which are available between January and May and between November and December from Sicily and Metaponto and between June and October locally. FreshPlaza visited the Balzac and Goldenstar crops.
Courgettes are available between January and April and November-December from Sicily, in April and May from south Lazio, in June from Campania and between July and October from Basilicata.
Radishes (November-April) and Trocadero lettuce (November-late March) are cultivated on 45-50 hectares.
Peppers
"Peppers are sold all year round. Volumes reach 9,000/9,500 tons a year, 6,000/7,000 of which are produced by our local greenhouses. 80% of the produce is destined to retailers, while the rest goes to a few markets. A small percentage is then shipped to France and Slovenia. We do not ship to other countries because our produce is more suitable for the domestic market."
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"For what concerns pepper varieties, I must say that every area has its favourite. Northern Italy prefers the shorter varieties, the Centre prefers square ones and the South favours oblong ones."
As peppers are quite delicate, they need special care after harvesting. Iodice has its own refrigerated trucks to transport the produce to the processing warehouse. "Peppers are placed at 7-8°C before being shipped. We do it to prolong the shelf-life and maintain taste and organoleptic qualities unaltered."
80% of the peppers is destined to retailers, while the rest goes mainly to domestic markets. Spain and the Netherlands are direct competitors.
2015 vs 2016
"2015 went from being a record year to being disastrous due to the torrid Italian summer, which caused productions to overlap and quality problems. Then, during the second half of the season, we had to deal with a lack of produce as setting was compromised."
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Sicilian peppers managed to do better in 2016. "The summer season started a few weeks ago and we are hoping in good weather and that consumers are willing to buy fresh peppers."
News
"We are working on new packaging to help the produce last longer. At the same time, we are working with Giovanni Orioli, Sales Specialist Pepper from Bayer CropScience Vegetable Seeds/Nunhems (third from left in the photo below) and his staff, to identify varieties with better yields and a stable production throughout the campaign."
New greenhouses are also being built for peppers, radishes and Trocadero lettuce.
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Contacts:Salvatore Iodice (sales manager)
Cell.: +39 336 845 169
Iodice Srl
via Castel Volturno, 95
Loc. Fasanara
81034 Mondragone (CE)
Tel./Fax: (+39) 081 773 3693
Email: info@iodicesrl.it
Web: www.iodicesrl.it
Author: Maria Luigia Brusco
Copyright: www.freshplaza.it