New Easy Open packaging from Giro' Italia

The new Easy Open system designed by Girò makes it possible to easily open and close packets and nets without needing scissors. "We created this new system, which has never been used in the fresh produce sector, to open and close bags easily," explains Girò Italia sales manager Franco Locati. In addition, Easy Open makes it possible to create sustainable…

New tomato varieties by Sicilian Suntime

"Our main objective is to develop and introduce innovation starting with the search for varieties that best adapt to our areas while at the same time being appreciated both in Italy and abroad. We also put a lot of effort in researching technical means as well as solutions for the problems of our…

Ethylene to delay the germination of onions

Since 2003, the British company Restrain has been developing ethylene generators and rents them for the whole season to producers of tomatoes, onions and potatoes. This technology from the Netherlands is now sold in 36 countries. The mechanics of the generator are relatively simple: the heat produced by…

Michel Koppert: “This machine is guaranteed to analyse the entire pear”

New MAF Roda pear sorting line installed at Van Haelst

MAF Roda introduced a new pear sorting line during the Fruit Logistica. The line has now been installed for Van Haelst Fruit in Verrebroek, Belgium. “With this new sorting line, which we use to sort both internal and external quality, we are guaranteed to look at 100% of the pear. No one else can…

Technology for consumers to use smartphones to analyze nutritional data, ingredients and freshness of food

Osram Opto Semiconductors , one of the three leading companies in the global lighting sector, is currently the only one developing a technology that, thanks to near-infrared spectroscopy based on LED technology (the so-called NIRED), will enable consumers to use their smartphones to analyze the…

Taking stock of European mushroom production

The European mushroom producer Group gathered at the European Parliament to take stock of the sector by taking into account the 2018 production and 2019 prospects. The Italian Mushroom Farmer Association also participated in the event: Andrea Prando, AIF national director, and Romeo Fuser, Consorzio…

The Giovanni Pasquariello's observations

Italy: Winter produce enough only for loyal customers

Giovanni Pasquariello is the owner of the Azienda Agricola Pasquariello Giovanni. He said to FreshPlaza, "For the current campaign, we expanded by 20% the acreage devoted to winter crops spread over a slightly longer period, from the end of September to mid-March. The harvesting times are going well. Before Christmas holidays,…

Italy: Pepe company is specialised in late varieties

Carmine Pepe is the owner of the Pepe company, located in Cellole, and founded in 1957. He passed on the business to his son Claudio. He said to FreshPlaza, "We have been farming cauliflowers for 60 years when hybrid seeds were not even available. Back then, cauliflowers were named after their harvesting…

Aubergine: Sicilian produce price goes slightly down

Sicilian fruit and vegetable production has been badly affected by the frost waves which slowed down the aubergine ripening, in the most important Sicilian areas. Astuto company's round aubergines Indeed, prices are relatively high because of the shortage. Giovanni Astuto is a specialised entrepreneur who farms soilless aubergines alongside tomatoes. He clarified some aspects related…

The careful survey by Agribologna confirmed the dreadful trend

Italy: Market prices were equal to production costs, in 2018

In 2018, Agribologna conducted a survey involving 17 vegetable producers, for a total of 485 hectares, in order to analyse the production cost of 7 crop varieties. On the 24th of January 2019, Agribologna showed the results at the Agrarian Department in the Bologna University. The title of the survey and…

Agrintech conference about the tenth anniversary of Iridium

The importance of light for quality fruit farming

On the 23rd January 2019, the technical conference held in Faenza attracted more visitors than expected. The massive crowd that participated in “Iridium 10 years: Technical solutions for precision fruit farming” was a demonstration of the huge interest that companies have regarding technical innovations.…

Slightly optimistic expectations regarding Italian kiwi marketing

Thanks to the information provided by reliable sources, FreshPlaza now shares the short-term prospects for the kiwi market. Hayward Kiwi Green kiwi sales have been increasing since the last days of December thanks to the end of the New Zealand fruit marketing. The first two weeks of January showed positive signs as…

Showcased at the Marca fair, in Bologna

New ready-to-eat products by La Linea Verde

La Linea Verde have introduced new ready-to-eat products, which were showcased at the Marca fair, in Bologna. These products are almost 10 different vegetables cooked in three different manners and packaged with the ‘skin’ technique. Andrea Battagliola, a member of the marketing management board of La Linea Verde, explained, “The vegetables…

Spain: One of the most important tomato producers in the world

In 2017, Spain grew 4 times as many tomatoes as Morocco and 5.5 times more than the Netherlands. Turkey grew twice as much as Spain. China, the number one producer in the world, grew 11.5 times more than Spain. The total world production amounted to more than 180,000 million kilos, grown on an area of…

Arancia Rosaria: larger surfaces and innovative processes

Together with his brother Salvatore, Aurelio Pannitteri is the creator of the Rosaria brand, the most excellent orange in Europe. He said, “In order to be up to date, a citrus fruit company must carry out steady research and development, starting from varietal innovations, the working processes, to the…

The skin is the first indication of a high-quality lemon

Giovanni Pezzino di Geronimo is the marketing manager of the Il Limone del Barone, a historical company active since 1700, which has been passed on generation after generation. He said to FreshPlaza, “When they ask me why my lemons are special, I reply that it is simply unique not only because it is seedless but also…

Especially in Chile

Graziani Packaging increasingly active in South America

2018 has been a rather complicated year because of the increasing prices of raw materials in terms of paper and plastic. Logistics is affected by this as well as those companies producing pallet supporters. Roberto Graziani of the Graziani Packaging company highlights that “despite these problems, our foreign income has…

Italy: Only a few companies produce cucumbers

Giuseppe Venezia is the production manager of the Venezia company, guided by his son Stefano, with offices close to the shore, in Sicily. He said that “even though the cucumber is not a widespread crop here, its farming is well established in south-western Sicily. This product allows companies to…

Fennel: the added value of correct processing in the field

Looking after more than 50 hectares of horticultural production in open fields can be challenging but they can be very satisfying if they are treated with care”. Giuseppe Leone is an agricultural entrepreneur in Siracusa, Sicily, where the plain and fertile fields have become a landmark for international…

It is necessary to start working on the future

South Italy: Very bad situation for clementines

Dr Francesco Perri is an agronomist and a citrus specialist. He shared with FreshPlaza his thoughts on the situation of the common Clementine production and marketing, “In my thirty years’ experience, the 2018 clementine campaign has been the worst ever, in the main producing regions”. According to the expert, the current situation is…

South Italy: Frost did not cause much damage

Low pressure coming from Northern Europe did not affect southern Italian produce much. FreshPlaza contacted Gianfranco Romano, regional president of Coldiretti Matera, in order to better understand the current situation. “The lower temperatures were not a big issue. Even though the temperatures reached -1.5°C, citrus…

So far, positive mood prevails at apple consortium

South Tyrolean apples: interim assessment of the EU quality label campaign

Half a year after the launch of the EU funding program, the four consortia of the joint project can draw a positive initial balance. The EU-funded information campaign of the initiators South Tyrolean Apple Consortium, Consortium Stilfser Käse, South Tyrolean Bacon Consortium and Consortium South…

Budget-friendly for all businesses in fresh produce industry

Italy: The PDO Ribera Orange is increasingly successful

The Riberella Winter Food Festival (Agrigento) ended a few days ago. It started as a very local fair but today it is a very important event, especially because the PDO Ribera Orange has grown to become the principal source of income for the entire area. For the occasion, we contacted Paolo Parlapiano, marketing and sales manager of…

Italian researchers presented it at the International Symposium in Uruguay

A new pear variety by CREA

Italian research stands out on an international level. Last week, Gianluca Baruzzi and Giuseppina Caracciolo participated in the International Pear Symposium organised by the International Society for the Horticultural Science (ISHS) held in Montevideo, Uruguay. CREA researchers presented the varietal innovations obtained…

Italy: Turnip Greens are mostly farmed in Puglia

Nicola Calabrese is a researcher at the Food Production Science Institute of the CNR in Bari. He explained to FreshPlaza that “Turnip greens are a characteristic vegetable from Puglia. It started as a minor Brassicaceae, a humble product. However, it has become increasingly successful and also the…

Italy: The sowing phase of the PGI Spring Carrot from Ispica is over

“The sowing of the PGI Spring Carrots from Ispica is finally done”, said the president of the Protection Consortium, “The persistent rains in October caused some issues for the sowing. The situation was particularly serious during the second half of October when rains were extremely heavy. Carmelo Calabrese Sowing was…

The Zetapack balance a few months after the launch of its machine

Automated processing for delicate fruits

It has been a very positive year for Zetapack, the new company specialised in the manufacturing of weighing machines for delicate fruits. The marketing manager Nicola Antonaccio explains, “In a few months, we sold seven working lines. This result was beyond our expectation. We knew we had a good product,…

Italy: Onion packaging with info for the consumers

It is crucial to always come up with something new and to offer additional services. The new net packaging of the Agro Emiliana onions is a response to that. The produce consists of white, golden and red onions in 500 gr tubes (4 pieces). Also, there are some indications on how to use it for cooking. The white onion…

Pink garlic from Billom on the Unesco Intangible Heritage List

Unesco has included the pink garlic from Billom, in the Puy-de-Dôme, as part of the intangible cultural heritage of France. Nicknamed “the white gold of the Auvergne” by the…

The Really Great Material Company in Cape Town represents the Italian company in Southern Africa

Novamont’s Mater-Bi bioplastic tested in South Africa

Plastic mulch is used extensively in vegetable and fruit production, particularly on crops with a shorter life cycle, and the recent drought has probably intensified its use which, in South Africa, is still exclusively made from standard plastic. However, elsewhere the tide is turning against plastic in its many…

A test in the MMR with Abate pears

New luxurious packaging for precious fruits

Two months have passed since the official launch. Now, the network of companies La Grande Bellezza Italiana can make a first, partial assessment. But mostly, it can look forward to further initiatives. And there are already some novelties on the table. The presidents Antonio Cipriani and Leonardo Odorizzi explain, “We are about to…

Hard times for the market expected for the next spring-summer

Italy: A very bad year for garlic

This has been a very problematic year for garlic, with a production surplus in all the producing countries. As a consequence, the prices and the demand have been incredibly low. Additionally, there were some imports from countries which usually have not been interested in the EU market, such as Turkey…

Italy: Cocktail Plum, a very successful tomato

The Cocktail Plum tomato variety represents a substantial segment of the table tomato production, in Italy. Because of climate change – with rather sudden temperature oscillations – and plant diseases, it is becoming increasingly urgent to farm varieties better suited for modern horticulture. Rocco, Lino and Salvatore…

An idea to increase the sales

Italy: Selling bananas at different degrees of ripeness

A Central-Northern Italy supermarket operator comments on the introduction of a differently ripened bananas offer, “It takes more work and commitment, but the sales increase and the customers are way more satisfied”. She states, “Other supermarkets have already been doing this, but this is the first time for us. This is…

Italy: extremely good market debut for the Tarocco red-orange

Giacomo Rizzo is the CEO of SPO Zentrum which, among other things, consists of different production sites in Sicily and an extremely well-organised distribution platform in Tuscany. He claimed, “In these days, we have started the harvesting of the Tarocco red-orange. We are expecting a great campaign in…

Italy: Chioggia chicory prices are not satisfactory

This is not a good time for the Chioggia chicory – or for the chicory in general, in fact. Giuseppe Boscolo Palo, president of the Consorzio di Tutela, confirms that and makes an analysis of the current market situation. “The offer is remarkable as the warmer than average temperatures did not help the…

In Sicily, pomegranate orchards are multiplying

Italy: pomegranate juices are increasingly successful

A positive economic balance for the Sicilian Agrumi-Gel. Although the processed red-orange is still the company’s flagship product, the results of the pomegranate juice are especially good. Antonio Imbesi is the owner and marketing manager of the Agrumi-Gel. He told to FreshPlaza, “The Sicilian pomegranate juice is really something unique.…

Productive peak expected in the next weeks

Italy: this will be an excellent year for the Adelita raspberry

The Basilicata region, in Southern Italy, is renowned for strawberry farming. Recently, raspberry farming represented an excellent idea not only from an agronomic standpoint but also in terms of business. FreshPlaza interviewed Carmela Surian, CEO of Compagnia Delle Primizie – a company famous for…

Conserve Italia devotes 800 hectares for the production of fruit juices

Italy: the supply chain behind the most famous juice brands

Conserve Italia is the most important Italian processing industry with the brands Valfrutta, Yoga, Derby Blue and Jolly Colombiani – the company’s holds 40% of market share within the Horeca. Although everyone knows these famous brands, few are aware of the supply chain behind every single bottle of…

The comparative analysis by the president of Consorzio Euroagrumi, Salvatore Rapisarda

Orange production: more bananas and apples than oranges

Salvatore Rapisalda is the president of the Consorzio Euroagrumi, and he told to FreeshPlaza: “Until the beginning of the 80s, orange was the most consumed fruit in the world, surpassing bananas for almost three million tons. By that time, indeed, the oranges produced were 40 million tons while bananas…

Italy: Year-round production of celery allows international marketing

Angelo Lorusso is the CEO of the AgriLorusso cooperative which can count on 10 different partners. He said, “Currently, we are harvesting, but there are several issues: fog, heavy and persistent rains, humidity – which weakens crops thus facilitating plant diseases. We keep on working and do not give up,…

Orafrizer: an outlook on citrus fruit production and export

Italy: Promoting Sicilian red-oranges

The last citrus fruit campaign in Sicily was extremely positive. However, this year the volumes are not the same as last year. This is mainly because of the Tristeza (CTV) effects and of the heavy and persistent rains which devastated the Western-Sicilian production areas. Despite all these issues,…

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