"The drop in consumption is cause for concern, especially since it does not seem to be strictly related to economic factors. It is crucial to interpret the signals, which could also reflect a change in consumer tastes, a factor that is known to be constantly evolving," says Giovanni Grasso, owner of the Sicilian company of the same name as well as of the La Zagara brand. Giovanni is continuing with the export business started by his father Salvatore Grasso in 1969.
In the photo: Giovanni Grasso
La Zagara boasts years of experience in the production of citrus fruits, seedless grapes, and cherry tomatoes, with plants operating between Apulia and Sicily. Covering an area of around 400 hectares - mostly in Sicily - the company produces citrus fruits (especially blood oranges), cherry tomatoes, and table grapes. For years, the company has carried out a varietal innovation and replanting program for the land affected by the citrus Tristeza virus (CTV). One of its strengths is varietal diversification, meaning that a balanced assortment covers an extensive commercial calendar from December to May, guaranteeing volume and continuity for the big retail chains.
"We sell our fruits mainly to the big retail chains in Italy and abroad. Volumes are on average 30 thousand tonnes between lemons, Tarocco oranges, and table grapes, with a percentage more or less split between the two types of fruit. Varietal diversification, which is constantly evolving, allows us to achieve an assortment spread over time with a broad calendar that, between December and May, guarantees volumes and continuity in the supply. We started with Tarocco Nocellare, an early pigmented variety whose grades are medium-small due to the drought."
"We are paying a heavy price in Sicily, also due to the absence of agricultural policies. A series of intertwined factors are leading to the collapse of a sector, such as the citrus fruit sector, which has historically supported the economy of the island, once called Conca D'Oro (Golden Basin) after the lemons that ripened between April and May. Unfortunately, they were swallowed up by unstoppable flows of cement. Today we are grappling with drought, labor shortages, and a fragmented sector that is unable to achieve critical mass, although there is a market niche that could once again bring the same wealth, thanks to Sicilian blood oranges."
"On a commercial level, there is no balance between supply and the drop in consumption, also because there is a certain abundance of produce. The season started off slowly and then the fruits ripened quickly due to the weather, meaning they had to be harvested quickly, thus flooding the market. In short, the weather is a serious problem, as the rain slowed down harvesting and, above all, affected shelf-life."
"The vast majority of the company's production is destined for the big retail chains of almost all northern European countries. We have direct contacts with leading distribution platforms so, over the years, we have acquired a fair amount of experience in managing 'joys and sorrows' together with our business partners. Germany, for example, is a notoriously difficult market, which, especially during a crisis, follows economic fluctuations subject to the well-known lowest price dynamics. Luckily, we are doing better with our blood oranges, in the sense that we encounter fewer problems than with the blond varieties, whose market is notoriously in the hands of the Spaniards.
For more information:
La Zagara
Giovanni Grasso S.r.l.
C.da Vignagrande s.n.
Fiumefreddo di Sicilia - 95013 - CT
+39 095 7762652
info@zagara.com
www.zagara.com