The artichoke harvesting campaign is now in full swing in Sardinia, currently involving the Spinoso, Tema, and Romanesco varieties. Salvatore Lotta, sales manager at OP Agricola Campidanese, makes an extremely positive assessment of the progress of the 2025/26 artichoke season, focusing on the record daily shipments and the entry into the peak production period.
 © Agricola Campidanese OP |  © Agricola Campidanese OP |
"Our processing lines are operating at full capacity. Sales volumes confirm the excellent condition of the market, as we are shipping 40 to 50,000 artichokes a day, which are packaged and distributed to Italian and foreign supermarkets and fruit and vegetable markets, with sales to Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. The month of November is colder than last year, which, although slowing down production, tends to be a good sign on a commercial level."
The market is therefore receptive. "The commercial situation is favourable because supplies are not high and people are buying. This dynamic is crucial since, especially in recent years, the consumption trend for artichokes has slowed down due to consumer preferences."
© Agricola Campidanese OP
However, the crucial issue for producers remains the final price to consumers, a variable closely linked to the commercial policies of the big retail trade. "While farms face a series of hefty costs between production, pesticides, labelling, packaging, and transport, big distributors apply price mark-ups of up to 110%. This leads to such a high final price that consumers often prefer not to buy the product or to look for alternatives, even giving up vegetables altogether.
© Agricola Campidanese OP
To further support these volumes and the public's interest in artichokes, the PO reconfirms its value-added product strategy by re-launching the line that combines artichokes, oil, and bottarga in a complete and attractive box for this season too. "After last year's success with 100,000 boxes sold, the aim is to grow further, as we believe we will reach at least 130,000 boxes this year. The special packaging, which combines three excellent products of the Sardinian agricultural and food tradition, meets the need to facilitate the consumption of a vegetable that consumers often prefer not to cook. This line, which includes artichokes, a 10 g sachet of oil produced in Sardinia, and 20 g of bottarga, is also supported by a significant marketing initiative on the Mediaset media networks throughout the entire month of December."
For more information:
Agricola Campidanese
Via Doria, 5
09098 Terralba (OR) - Italy
+39 0783 022959
[email protected]
lortodieleonora.com
