Sicily is getting ready for the new orange season with some difficulties - the weather has in fact not been favorable so far, especially for blond oranges, which have had a few setting problems. In eastern Sicily, in fact, there is 20% less produce in the Catania plain. Of course these are general considerations.
The situation is different for blood oranges, whose season will start in December. The lack of rain and muggy heat with temperatures reaching 37-38°C in December have meant that grades are medium small. Irrigation was necessary to mitigate the damage caused by the abnormal heat and producers are hoping late varieties will develop more homogeneous fruits.
Structured companies tackle these problems with suitable measures and are therefore expecting quantities in line with the groves and volumes (possibly) higher than last year.
It is necessary to make a distinction. The Arancia Loretta company, for example, registered a 20% growth in 2023. "All made possible thanks to the professionalism, dedication and commitment we put into our work, which conquers the business clients and final consumers who choose the high-quality of our products. Our campaign ended with 1100 cars of commercialized produce, and we can already hypothesize a 25% increase for the new season," reported Carmelo Frisenna, operator specialized in the production and commercialization of citrus fruit.
The HLB and Black Spot threat has been discussed multiple times, but what are the measures taken to tackle the issue and what are companies asking?
"We know HBL is a dangerous disease. Once a tree is infected, it's difficult to save it. The same goes for Black Spot, which reduces the produce that can be sold on the fresh produce market... we hope we won't have to deal with these problems in Sicily. We are hoping incentives can be put in place to guarantee us a return with a solid product, in addition to the due precautions at the border on imported productions."