In Apulia, the harvesting of Ferrovia variety cherries is still going on, but the campaign is facing harsh weather conditions. This time, it is Giuseppe D'Ambruoso of D'Ambruoso Fruit and Vegetables, which operates in the Conversano (Bari) area, who provided us an update on the ongoing season in terms of production and sales.
"We're about to wrap up with the last cuttings and we expect to finish with the Ferrovia cultivar in about 10 days, if the weather allows for it. We have certainly had better cherry campaigns. This one of 2023 has been characterized by limited satisfaction in volume and quality.
This is because the weather was unfavorable throughout the entire harvest period with continuous rainfall that caused a drop in volumes of about 30-35%, besides compromising the quality of the fruit, to the point that we decided to not export the Ferrovia to Europe, in order to avoid disputes related precisely to the quality and shelf-life of the fruit."
However, there were high calibers and sales prices that were 30-50% higher than last season, which partly compensated for the losses incurred in the fields. " There is no shortage of orders, even to this day," resumes the Apulian manager. We have always recorded a significant demand, often even higher than the volumes that were processed, and not at all comparable with what happened last year, when the general demand for cherries was down due to the uncertainty that reigned in the markets, aided by the greater propensity to save on the part of families. However, for the past few days, there has been a gradual decline in orders, mainly due to an overabundance of product from both southern and northern Italy."
"The arrival of the warm weather, after weeks of instability, gives us hope, although most of the produce has already been harvested, sold or lost. The high temperatures are accelerating the ripening process, and we are relying on a final rush."
For more information:
D'Ambruoso Fruit and Vegetables
Via dell'Ulivo, 8/12
70014 Conversano (BA) – Italia
+39 080 495 82 60
info@dambruoso.com
www.dambruoso.com