The market welcomed raspberries from Basilicata very well. Since November 2016, around 5 tons of raspberries under Campagnia delle Primizie's Happy Berry® brand were commercialised on the main Italian markets.
Carmela Suriano, CEO of Compagnia delle Primizie, said that "our objective is to introduce raspberries during the winter months. Supply is in fact very limited during this period with imports from South America, Spain and Morocco. The market really appreciates our domestic alternative."
Raspberry production is still underway in Basilicata despite the recent low temperatures, albeit in limited quantities.
"The exceptional cold front is slowing down production and affecting blossoming. We managed to contain the damage thanks to greenhouses and we hope plants will restart growing in the next few weeks."
Raspberries need light, so Basilicata is perfect for growing them thanks to its typically Mediterranean climate. This makes the region perfect for producing also other berries such as strawberries.
"Basilicata is focusing on increasing the production of this fruit year after year. Growing is carried out in greenhouse tunnels with specific techniques with a low environmental impact."
"We choose excellent varieties in terms of health, flavour, shelf-life and freshness and our fruit reaches the tables of consumers within 12/24 hours from harvesting. Our foreign competitors cannot do that, as berries are usually imported at a high cost by air. We supply an alternative, excellent for meeting the increasing demand."
In addition to expanding their raspberry production area, Campagnia delle Primizie also launched a new brand - Happy Berry®.
"Fruit alone is not enough, we need to work on it to make it attractive. With Happy Berry®, we wanted to create a personality and add value to our produce, making it easy to identify for final consumers. This brand conveys joy, freshness and happiness to share - values that identify consumers in the Third Millennium and are rooted in the culture of the ancient Greeks, the first who populated and cultivated these lands."
"We paid particular attention when developing the packaging and labels, as we are well aware of their importance at an unconscious level. Our products are aimed at consumers who follow a healthy diet, appreciate Italian produce and are aware that good packaging reflects a good product. In addition, our packaging contains information to orientate consumer choices."
For further information:
Compagnia delle Primizie
Tel.: (+39) 0835 902017