It's a difficult moment for agretti as, on 30th March 2017, average prices did not exceed €1/kg at the Cesena market due to the abundant volumes available. Considering the labour required to complete the production cycle, €1/kg almost does not even cover costs.
"Quality is good but supply exceeds demand. It's a pity as, if consumers knew more about the characteristic of this vegetable, sales would definitely increase. In addition, with these prices, wholesalers and dealers themselves should stock up," explained an operator.
In Romagna, agretti are sown in greenhouses in November and harvesting is carried out by hand between February and April. Sowing on open fields is carried out in January and harvesting continues until late May.
Another product facing difficulty were chards. Although quality was excellent, they only sold at €1.20/kg, not meeting expectations.
"Usually chards are not very popular in summer, as they are eaten cooked and people don't buy them when it's too hot. It's rather weird that demand is so low now. We hope it's just temporary."
Leeks also didn't do so well, as prices were €1.20-1.50/kg.
