Italy: Gullino now ready to invest in apples

"This year production is lower and we keep hoping prices and sales will be better compared to a slow beginning of the campaign. We need to start dealing with the fact that kiwis are cultivated not only in Italy but in countries like Greece, Turkey and Iran too," explains Giovanni Gullino, general and sales manager for Gullino.

According to him, the Hayward kiwi market is rather peculiar at the moment as, despite the low volumes, destocking is rather slow.

"Demand is not what we had hoped for and the market is proving rather slow even in places like Asia and North America."

Better expectations for the end of the season
Gullino thinks the situation will improve towards the end of the season as less produce will be available on a European level and importers will have to become more active to find produce.

"All exporters with storage units will try to export slowly to make price and demand increase. We hope this will happen in spring. The good quality of the fruit should help us keep prices satisfactory. Compared to 2016, all operators will finish their stocks 15 days to 1 month earlier."

"I have to say we are rather satisfied with our campaign as we have been working with our clients for years. Nonetheless, results are below expectations at the moment. We thought prices and sales would be higher due to the fact that there is 25% domestic produce available."

"We must try to stand out quality and marketing-wise, otherwise we will end up in a place where origin is no longer important. We need to be better at producing, selling and pushing our products. We need to be better than the others not to lose our share of the market."

"Our company controls the entire chain, from production to commercialisation. We are working with limited quantities, so we need to improve to meet the needs of producers, distributors, importers and consumers."

Gullino import-export has two warehouses, one of which is dedicated to the Zespri produce and the logistics platform. The other processes Gullino and organic produce.

What's new in 2017

Taking advantage of its over twenty-year experience with organic kiwis, Gullino will introduce the processing of organic apples, and especially the ones cultivated in Piedmont.

"We will launch our new range of organic apples at Fruit Logistica. We studied a cultivation technique that has a low environmental impact and we want the world to know what the Piedmont productive sector is doing. We will make a significant investment in processing and packaging machinery and will provide continued technical assistance to our producers."

In addition to an extension, new processing facilities will also be opened for apples harvested in 2017. "We will keep on perfecting our kiwis, but we want to apply our experience and philosophy to apples too and invest our resources on production and commercialisation."

Gullino import-export will attend Fruit Logistica 2017 in Hall 2.2, Stand D 04, where Giovanni Gullino, Armando Peirone (overseas sales manager) and Saverio Principiano (Europe sales manager) will welcome guests.

Contacts:
Gullino Import-Export S.r.l.
S.S. 589 Laghi di Avigliana, 8/A
12037 Saluzzo (CN)
Web: www.gullino.it
Email: info@gullino.it