There is a lot of produce with a medium-low quality, damaged not only by the spring frost, but also by the rain.
Operator Giancarlo Minguzzi adds that "prices for low-quality fruit are rather low. And rightly so. The problem is that retailers keep looking at prices and the risk is that they will drop also for the best apricots."
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The north is lacking produce due to spring frost while, in the south, a lot of fruit was damaged by the hail and rain. The fact that produce of all kinds is available is causing the drop in quotations.
"Foreign markets are still responding well. Retailers are not that different, as they tend to prefer cheap produce. Anyway things are going well in Germany, Austria and Great Britain."
Over the past few years, there has been a considerable varietal renewal thanks to red varieties. "Red apricots are not necessarily better. It depends on the fruits and on how they're harvested. Consumers want a product with good organoleptic qualities and that they'd like to eat again. It doesn't matter it is yellow, orange or red."
"The campaign is only just starting, and there would be plenty of margin to reach satisfactory quotations. But the sector should self-regulate and avoid placing produce of questionable quality on the market."
Contacts:
Minguzzi spa consortile
Anna Maria e Giancarlo Minguzzi
Via Reale, 160
48011 Alfonsine (RA) - Italy
Tel.: (+39) 0544 81260
Email: [email protected]
