"The Italian grape season is in full swing. Sales will certainly continue until the end of 2021, not only because quantities have increased by 20%, but also because consumption in October was not very high," said Donato Fanelli of Commissione Italiana Uva da tavola in Apulia. Founded in 2020, the association aims to bring together all operators in the supply chain to promote and increase the value of Italian grapes.
"In recent months, there has been a particular surge in demand for seedless varieties, while Pizzutella and Red Globe varieties (seeded grapes) also saw an increase in orders compared to last season. Prices have dropped by about 5% for seedless grapes, but by 15-20% for seeded grapes. We are about to embark on the final spurt of the 2021 season, a period that we hope will end as well as possible, given the absence of European competition."
"Usually, in the final weeks of sales, which overlap with the Christmas period, there is an increase in prices and demand, especially in Europe. This trend seems to be continuing this year, but with a sad note, as the lack of planning and promotion of Italian grapes will result in many Italian growers and traders selling their wares to Spanish counterparts, who will then supply European chains. International buyers often have to deal with managing the purchase of a specific crop, which not only has a huge catalog of varieties (for grapes, there are about 110 cultivars), but also have to interact with many different traders and companies."
"The arrival of the first overseas grapes (from Brazil, Chile, Peru) on the European market is taking place with about a month ahead of schedule. Usually, they arrive in the first ten days of December, but this year these countries seem to want to confuse consumers well in advance, causing Italian grapes to lose market share. Our crops excel in quality and appearance, so I hope that European players will continue to prefer them over other grapes," concluded Donato Fanelli.
