With the arrival of Christmas, the consumption and the prices of artichokes tend to increase, especially if the year is marked by a reduction in the number of hectares planted due to prolonged heat and drought.
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"Our area under cultivation is 30% less than last season. This year, about 200 hectares were allocated to the different varieties (such as Tema, Spinoso, Capriccio, Romanesco, etc.). Due to the limited availability of water from the irrigation consortia, farmers have not been able to manage their crops as well as they would have liked and have had to change their plans. Pallet prices have soared in the last few days, reaching values of up to €1.80-2 per head," says Salvatore Lotta, director of the Sardinian producers' organisation OP Agricola Campidanese.
The Sardinian organisation, which has an extensive commercial calendar, supplies artichokes from October until the end of May. "We are forced to reduce supplies because of the production situation in the field. Prices are satisfactory: farmers can earn up EUR 0.30 per head for the lower-value varieties. We are receiving a lot of demand from European buyers, in particular from France and Germany. We expect to be able to supply a larger number of customers from January 2025, when the harvest will be more frequent."
For Christmas 2024, the Sardinian PO launched a promotional video using artificial intelligence, which was broadcast on some local TV channels and on Canale Italia, to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.
For more information:
Agricola Campidanese
09098 Terralba (OR) - Italy
Tel.: +39 0783 022959
[email protected]
lortodieleonora.com