Not a very good year for Sicilian new potatoes, as the low prices (up to 25 eurocents/kg) were in stark contrast with the cost of seeds (70/80 eurocents). In addition, a series of weather calamities delayed growth and, in some cases, completely ruined the harvest.
There was a lot of produce available during harvesting because the early one overlapped with what was still in stock, leading to a drop in prices.
As most people know, a good part of the European market is regulated by France, which owns the best long storage and anti-sprouting technologies. The possibility of storing large quantities means this produce can be placed on the market at the same time as the Italian - and mainly Sicilian - potatoes, which are much appreciated for their unique organoleptic qualities and taste.
Sicilian agricultural experts, afraid that some batches might be passed off as Sicilian, recommend comparing the volumes of Italian/Sicilian tubers with sales during the same period (between March and August/September), i.e. not only during harvesting but also during shelf-life 'with no treatment'.
Sicilian early potatoes risk disappearing. Once again, Sicily is losing out even with a product such as potatoes, which could have a potential market in many countries.