Excellent demand from Europe for Italian fresh-cut references

In the first week of November, Italian grower Agrieuropa began selling its winter vegetables, including carrots, round turnip, radish, parsley root, long turnip and kohlrabi. Lamb's lettuce is available throughout the year. However, unlike other years, it is not available in large quantities until December.

"The winter season has not started well, with quality issues in November because of mild temperatures and pest infestations. "Many vegetables were not even harvested. They were not of the right quality for the market. Now the situation is getting better because the temperatures are getting back to normal for this time of the year."

"However, sales are still low, and this is the case for all winter vegetables The real consumption will pick up in February. Kohlrabi, on the other hand, is already doing well. In recent years, we have managed to bring more volumes to the market and boost sales of this product."

Agrieuropa is a cooperative that has 400 hectares of land in the province of Latina (Lazio region), of which 303 hectares are covered and the rest is grown outdoors. In addition, they are responsible for processing and packing.

Agrieuropa has excellent commercial relationships with retailers in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, England, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia and Greece, thanks to the quality of its products. It is also a supplier to the wholesale markets of central and northern Italy.

"In the convenience segment, we are betting big on lamb's lettuce. This season we have sown a month later so that we can have the first harvest in December. That's when Northern Europe no longer has its own product, and we have more space in the market. At the moment we are harvesting spinach, baby spinach, rocket and lamb's lettuce. We have enough volumes to meet a good demand. Prices are 40% higher than last season. We only grow spinach in greenhouses, so we can always guarantee the best quality product.”

Lamb's lettuce, arugula, spinach, and baby spinach are primarily sold packaged. Lamb's lettuce is available in 125- and 150-gram bags and trays, rocket in 125-gram bags, while spinach and baby spinach are available in 500-gram bags.

Celeriac, a new reference for Agrieuropa, is now being planted. The harvest will start in April.