ABA Mediterranea's summer season is in full swing. The final rounds of the stone fruit campaign are wrapping up, and the mini watermelon season has just begun. Michele Santoro, the cooperative's sales manager, assesses the situation: "We are finally in the middle of the summer season. The stone fruit campaign is almost over, and we just started with the mini watermelons. The grape campaign is scheduled to begin in a week or ten days at most." The Italian cooperative specializes in organic production.
Stone fruit: a challenging season, but with encouraging signs
The stone fruit campaign, which includes apricots, peaches, and nectarines, faced weather-related production challenges, such as heavy rainfall and hailstorms, which negatively impacted the quality of the fruit. "It was not a very good production season, especially for apricots, which are our main product," explains Santoro.
However, from a commercial standpoint, the outcome is less negative than expected. "Prices were higher than last year, and we did not reach the lows of 2023. It was only during the peak production period, when we faced competition from Spain, that we saw a drop in prices." As for peaches and nectarines, volumes are lower. However, the yellow peach has attracted particular interest. "It is a less widespread crop than in the past, which has probably stimulated demand."
A promising start for mini watermelons
The mini watermelon campaign began just over a week ago and has already shown promising results. "We are harvesting, and the warm weather has accelerated the ripening process and increased demand," says Santoro. The Aba Bio brand watermelons have small seeds and are uniform in size and quality. Even the smallest fruits sell well as long as they are well-pigmented and have a high Brix degree.
From a business perspective, demand originates from numerous sources, including large-scale distribution, specialty stores, and domestic and international markets. "There is movement on all channels," Santoro confirms. "We don't have exact numbers yet because it's too early. Regarding apricots, we're holding off until the end of the campaign to get a clearer picture. Initial estimates often do not reflect the final outcome."
Yellow melon in August
Alongside the mini watermelons, ABA Mediterranea will offer the yellow melon in August. "These are limited quantities," Santoro points out, "but they help us expand our range."
Consumer appreciation and packaging
In terms of packaging, the company relies on standard cardboard and returnable plastic solutions. Customization options, such as labels, bands, and stickers, are available for customers who request them. But what about consumer satisfaction? "Stone fruits have maintained consistency in sales, with some promotional events during the weeks of highest production. Mini watermelons are also receiving excellent feedback."
Grape season starting Meanwhile, as the stone fruit season comes to a close, ABA Mediterranea is preparing for the grape campaign, which will kick off in a few days with the first varieties. It's a new chapter in a busy summer where quality organic products and timely delivery remain the company's pillars.
For more information:
Michele Santoro
+39 389 252 9071
[email protected]
aba Bio / ABA Mediterranea Soc. Coop. Agr.
Registered office: Via Vittorio Veneto 21, 74013 Ginosa (TA) - Italy
Operational headquarters: Via Tagliamento 31, 75020 Scanzano Jonico (MT) - Italy
[email protected]
www.abamediterranea.it