Good quotations as well

A spring in which, in the south, temperatures seem to remain below the seasonal average and with significant temperature swings. A climatic trend, therefore, that is unfavorable for strawberry growers, as they are forced to cope with limited product availability, right at the time of maximum demand.

Carmela Suriano, EMEA director of Nova Siri Genetics (NSG), explains, "Usually, there is a large supply during the Easter holidays. This is a celebration that coincides with the peak of Italian production. This year, however, the supplies were lower due to less availability than demand. The slowdown in ripening has not been the same for all producers."

"One of the characteristics shared by our varieties," the manager affirms, "is precisely their ability to withstand temperature changes and therefore to produce even in climatic conditions that are not particularly favorable. We have seen this just in the last few weeks, with the succession of remarkable cold returns, which have brought lows down to 2° C and penalized cultivars that are very sensitive to cold. However, the companies that have decided to plant our selections have obtained positive results in terms of quantity and size, both for early varieties such as Marimbella, with over 500 g/plant, and for Rossetta, which, on the other hand, is currently between 350 and 400 g/plant. Similar yields also for Gioelita and Melissa. (Data refer to the fresh plant type)“.

The current strawberry crop year, climatically speaking, continues to be fluctuating. Already during the planting period, temperatures were indeed not in line with typical seasonal temperatures. After a mild and long-lasting autumn, from the end of January 2023, temperature decreases were frequent.

On the commercial front, Suriano explains, "Our producers are very satisfied with the results obtained both in terms of quantity-quality and economics, especially since there is a very low presence of foreign product on the market and a lower flow of the Italian one. Currently, NSG varieties boast a price range from 3.50 to 5 euro/kg, with peaks as high as 7 euros for Rossetta.

Source: Freshplaza.it