"The ongoing citrus fruit campaign is going well, however it is being affected by the unfavorable weather conditions which are compromising quantities, though not the excellent quality that characterizes our products. We are talking about a 20% drop in Washington Navel oranges, which are renowned for their blond flesh, medium-large grades, seedlessness and a pleasant flavor," reports Simone Chetta, who owns Azienda agricola Chetta Simone together with his brother Giuseppe.
In the photo, Simone Chetta, owner Azienda agricola Chetta Simone
The company commercializes around 50 tons of citrus fruit obtained from 10 hectares located in the Gulfa contrada in Ribera (AG), part of the area that produces Arancia di Ribera DOP. The business was set up over fifty years ago by Filippo Chetta, when it used to grow almonds and arable crops. In the 1970s, the company started using organic cultivation techniques and planted citrus fruits. Over the years, it diversified its production and sales channels selling other typical local products including extra-virgin olive oil, clementines, lemons and marmalades online.
"The strong point of our production is that we hold the organic certification. It was my father who, ahead of his times, understood the value of natural productions with a low environmental impact. The price at origin of these productions has always been higher than that of the standard produce, although the margin dropped compared with 2020, when a lot of people demanded citrus fruit. During this particular phase, we are tackling the higher cost of raw materials, electricity, packaging and transport although, in our case, increases are not hugely reflected by the final price, as we sell our produce directly to final consumers."
The sales channels for the brand are mainly online sales, purchasing groups and foreign wholesalers.
"Those who purchase fruit from platforms are clients looking for short chain products as they lead to a dual result: higher profits for producers and a guarantee of the high-quality, freshness and genuineness of freshly-harvested oranges."
Company stand at Biofach in Nuremberg
"Thanks to direct sales and wholesalers, we export around 30% of our products. We are carrying out an interesting campaign in northern Europe and specifically France, Germany and Switzerland, Belgium and Denmark. In Italy, we ship our products via courier on Mondays and Tuesdays to various families and purchasing groups."
For further information:
Azienda Agricola Chetta Simone
Viale Garibaldi, 108
92016 Ribera (AG)
+39 338 1605976
aziendachetta@libero.it
www.aranciabiologica.it