"We are really worried because we are witnessing a drastic drop in consumption that is affecting all the references and all the countries in Europe. With the rise in temperatures, as spring approaches, it is physiological that production volumes will increase," says Alberto Nocera, president of Agrieuropa, based in Terracina (Lazio, Italy).
"We're not complaining about the purchase prices," Nocera explains, "but sales volumes have gone down, so even though we have product in the country, we don't get any feedback when we buy. However, we have noticed that as soon as retailers introduce promotional prices, consumption increases," he says.
"Since we are in the winter growing season and production levels are increasing, our concerns are understandable. Sales are there but in small quantities. The commercial situation for courgettes is completely different, albeit dramatic: since there is a lot of product available from all areas (Sicily, Lazio, and Spain), the market is having difficulty absorbing it all, and therefore consumption is low, with purchase prices that are in line with this negative trend, standing at 0.70 euro/kg."
Agrieuropa is an agricultural cooperative for the production, processing, and packaging of vegetables in Lazio, in the heart of the so-called Agro Pontino area, in the province of Latina, which includes the municipalities of Terracina, San Felice Circeo, Sabaudia, and Pontinia, on a surface area of 400 hectares, of which 300 hectares are covered with greenhouses and about 100 hectares in open fields.
Specialized in vegetables during the winter campaign, in addition to the range of small salads (including valerian, spinach, spinach, and rocket), it grows courgettes, parsley root, long turnips, round turnips, kohlrabi, radishes, and carrots, which are mainly destined for export. The company's summer campaign assortment focuses on references such as courgettes (available 12 months a year), cucumbers, watermelons, and peppers.
Agrieuropa is currently starting the first transplantations of watermelons and mini-watermelons under polytunnels.
Nocera concludes: "We expect to start harvesting celeriac, now in its second year of cultivation, and Chinese cabbage, a new production experience for us, in mid-March. These two references will be available from mid-March to the first ten days of May and will be destined for the foreign market. The Chinese cabbage, available in flow packs, will be marketed in Germany, while the commercial destinations that will be supplied with celeriac are Slovakia, Germany, and Poland."
For more information:
Agrieuropa Soc. Coop. Agr.
S.S. 148 Pontina Km 97,700
04019 Terracina (LT) - Italy
+39 0773 756158
+39 0773 756408
commerciale@agrieuropa.it
www.agrieuropa.it