The harvesting of the first PGI Green Asparagus from Canino in forced cultivation has just begun. "Just like every year, the product stands out due to its extreme earliness. In fact, thanks to the geothermal hot waters present in our territory and an efficient and well-tested agronomic cultivation system, the first shoots already started emerging from the ground a few days ago, and harvesting has started," reports Sergio Marcoaldi, president of the C.O.P.A. cooperative, Cooperativa Ortofrutticola Produttori Associati di Canino (Viterbo).
© C.O.P.A.
"At this early stage, volumes are inevitably very small and strongly conditioned by the weather despite the basal heating and protection with small plastic tunnels. This early product is destined for our historical customers, i.e., operators who know its value well and who follow it throughout the campaign. For us, the production season starts now and, barring unforeseen weather-related events, generally ends between the first and second week of June."
© Maria Luigia Brusco | FreshPlaza.com
Sergio Marcoaldi and Giancarlo Benella, respectively, president and commercial director of the C.O.P.A cooperative, specialising in asparagus and almond production
The beginning of the campaign is always special, also from a commercial point of view. "The limited quantities and high prices make this phase very different from the height of the season," explains Giancarlo Benella, the cooperative's commercial director. "It is essential to recognise the right value to a production niche that entails significant costs and commitment for farmers. We are talking about a little product, which must be distributed with care, and which customers must also handle with care because it is delicate, precious, and highly perishable."
© C.O.P.A.
Looking at the entire 2026 campaign, the picture remains complex, yet interesting. "Demand for green asparagus is growing both in Italy and Europe, while the cultivated areas at the national level have shrunk significantly in recent years. Supply is therefore more limited and strongly influenced by the spring weather."
Marcoaldi adds: "Asparagus is probably the vegetable most sensitive to temperature fluctuations, late frosts, and heavy rains, which cool the soil and slow down emergence. With the ongoing climate change, asparagus cultivation has become one of the most difficult agricultural activities. Making seasonal forecasts often means risking being proved wrong. As a cooperative, however, we have supported our members in the construction of new plants over the last six years - also financially, thereby managing to keep the cultivated area stable and currently standing at around 250 hectares."
© C.O.P.A.
This is the context for the company's participation in the Gulfood Dubai fair from 26 to 30 January, as part of the ARSIAL - Lazio Region stand. "For us, this event takes on a special meaning, because the cooperative is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary, an important milestone for a reality made up of small and medium-sized producers," Marcoaldi emphasises. "Running a cooperative means working every day on shared objectives, and one of these is the promotion of our high-quality products on markets capable of appreciating and promoting them. Exhibiting on a world-class stage is a precious opportunity to give visibility not only to the product, but to the entire supply chain."
© COPA Canino
"The Middle East, and Dubai in particular, has long been a strategic market for our green asparagus," adds Benella. "We have been selling in this area for over ten years and are experiencing constant interest, linked above all to the high quality of the product, its bright colour and characteristic flavour. Attention to packaging also plays a key role in customer appreciation. Distance is not a limitation, because well-organised logistics and flights of just a few hours allow delivery times comparable to those of European platforms."
© COPA Canino
"We strongly believe in the promotion of green asparagus on the national and European markets, but internationalisation remains a concrete lever for growth that cannot be neglected. That is why we are taking part in this event for the first time with great pride, aware that opening up to new markets means creating opportunities for the entire supply chain and strengthening the future of a production that requires skills, investment, and a long-term vision," conclude Marcoaldi and Benella.
For more information:
Società Agricola C.O.P.A. soc. coop.
Via Pietro Nenni snc
01011 Canino (VT) - Italy
+39 (0) 761 438207
[email protected]
www.copacanino.it
