Zero-residue radicchio, an extra chance to gain interest among consumers

The range of pest-free vegetables offered by the Italian company Fellini Patrizio continues to expand. Red, pest-free radicchio started to be available a few weeks ago. "Right now, the product is from the Marche region. We have grown in Romagna until November. The quality is good and the harvest is abundant," says sales director Emile Fellini.

Thanks to a fairly strict discipline and the selection of robust varieties and suitable soils, it is possible to obtain a product free of pollutants. "This is a new opportunity for consumers to buy a pollutant-free product. Because of higher growing costs, it's not possible to get a reasonable price, but it's important for retailers to offer new products to customers."

Fellini has radicchio available eight months of the year, with only a break in supply during summer. "The overlap in harvest cycles led to a concentration of supply of conventional radicchio, which lowered prices. Now all the product is stored, and sales are gradual, but sometimes prices don't even cover the cost of growing it."

Fellini's commercial team: Luca Pollarini, Luca Zucconelli, Emile Fellini and Andrea Pignato

Storage costs are a major challenge for all processors and marketers. "In a little over a year, they've gone up 35 percent, and if selling prices don't go up in the coming weeks, the bottom line will be in the red. Dark red, even," concluded Fellini.