Until a couple of weeks ago, broccoli was sold at €2.50-3.00/kg, as volumes were short and had to be imported from Spain. Prices have fallen now, back to €0.80-1.00/kg. White extra cauliflowers are sold at €0.60-0.80/kg green Roman cauliflowers are sold at €1.20-1.30/kg."
Although 15-20 cents lower, the price of fennel is still above the seasonal average - €2.20-2.60/kg for extra-quality produce and €0.70-1.20/kg for frost-damaged produce.
As regards artichokes, produce from Sardinia is selling well at €0.65-0.70/each for extra-quality produce and €0.25-0.30/each for smaller heads. The Sicilian produce was heavily damaged by the frost, so it's more difficult to find.
The price of leafy vegetables has also gone down. That of manigotto lettuce dropped to €1.50-1.60/kg, while that of gentile lettuce dropped to €2-2.20/kg. The price of spinach halved and is below €1.50/kg.
There is a 30-40 eurocent difference between red and yellow peppers, regardless of their origin (Sicily or Spain). Red peppers sell at €2.30-2.40/kg, while the yellow ones sell at €2.80-3.00. In addition, clients tend to prefer the Spanish produce at this time of year because of its longer shelf-life.
Tomato prices are also dropping, except for date tomatoes, which are sold at €3.70-4.00/kg. Beefsteak tomatoes sell at €1.50-2.00/kg depending on colour and grade, cherry tomatoes sell at €2.20-2.60/kg and Sicilian bunch tomatoes sell at €1.30-1.40/kg, just like the Spanish ones.
The price of aubergines has dropped and stabilised at €1.50-1.80/kg for both purple and black varieties. The produce from Sicily is more popular than that from Campania.
The price of courgettes has been fluctuating a lot this year, ranging from the €3.50-5.00/kg of the past few weeks (light-coloured aubergines with flowers) to the €2.20-2.50/kg of this week.
As regards strawberries, the season is still not in full swing in Basilicata. Most of the fruit available comes from Sicily and it's sold at €3.00-3.50/kg. The Spanish produce is late, as the bad weather affected ripening.
Bananas are very popular, especially organic and fair-trade ones.
Apple prices are practically stationary, except for those from the Melinda group, which are 10-15 eurocents more expensive. Pear prices are almost stable. Abate pears from Emilia-Romagna are the most popular, though produce from South Africa and South America will be available too.
Kiwis sell at €0.60-1.20/kg for the national produce and €1.90-2.30/for Zespri.
Finally, as regards citrus fruit, tangerine sales are slow due to the low sugar levels while Tarocco oranges are recovering slightly thanks to the lower volumes of Navel oranges available and the higher demand. Prices are expected to increase by 10-15 eurocents/kg, especially for the most popular grades.