The imported Italian fresh chestnut season is winding down following a high volume of orders seen at the start of the season back in October. “We've met all of the demand up to the second week of December, but orders have been slowing down,” says Nick Pacia, CEO of the Bronx, NY-based Trucco, Inc. He notes that the last container is arriving this week and the season will likely be done by early next week.
Overall, the season looked a bit different this year. “The crop was bigger in volume, but the size of the chestnuts itself was small and the domestic market likes larger sizes,” says Pacia. “Some of the shipments were delayed and that resulted in less availability towards the end of the season."
Anita Pacia and the packing team for Trucco Ready to Eat Italian chestnuts in Avellino, Italy.
The exchange rate assist
Demand was similar to last year’s, but it was stronger at the beginning of the season. “Pricing is more or less the same as last season,” Pacia said. “We did have some increased costs in air shipping, but the exchange rate helped offset that, which also helped us maintain prices relatively close to last year’s prices and remain stable throughout the season."
Moving chestnuts is something Pacia is quite familiar with given he comes from a family of chestnut growers in Italy, where they are still producing, packing and shipping for Trucco.
“The chestnut market is slower than what it used to be. Consumption has decreased, but we’ve seen increased interest in our ready-to-eat chestnuts,” says Pacia, noting Trucco offers a 100-gram pouch that can be eaten as a snack or used for cooking. It also offers other products such as frozen chestnuts and chestnut flour. “Consumer habits are changing and the future is our ready-to-eat products.”
For more information:
Yasmin Pacia
Trucco Inc.
Tel: +1 (866) 258-7822
[email protected]
https://truccodirect.com/