The Italian Red Magic grape production has achieved a good reputation in the United Kingdom and Germany, where it is received with anticipation and where "good prices are paid for it," explains Stefano Franchini, commercial manager at Franchini Farm. "Currently, we export most of our production, which entails the shipment of about 4,800 tonnes to the two main destinations," explains Franchini.
This Italian company starts the campaign in the area of Sicily in late May and continues until it reaches its crops in the area of Apulia in late September. "There are years in which the campaign has lasted until the end of December, because there has been a lot more production, but demand has not been so high in those last months of the year. Moreover, that is a very exceptional situation," comments Franchini.
At the moment, the price of a kilo of Red Magic grapes ranges between 4 and 3.5 Euro in the international market, although a couple of weeks ago they even reached 5 Euro, according to the representative of Franchini Farm. However, "we expect this figure to drop next week to about 2.80 Euro and later possibly to 2 Euro," states Franchini. "This campaign is being similar to last year's; we have had and are having the same weather conditions, as well as the same demand, so everything is going exactly the same as last year," affirms Franchini.
At this time, Egypt is Italy's biggest competitor as far as Red Magic grapes are concerned. However, "we differentiate ourselves by the great amount of controls which our grapes undergo in order to comply with European regulations," points out Franchini. "This sets us apart from Egyptian grapes, where they still treat them with many chemicals that are not good for our health, and our customers are fortunately aware of this."
For more information:
Stefano Franchini
Franchini Farm
Tel.: +393928405737