Rucola della Piana del Sele PGI is well positioned on the national market. "All the major supermarket chains have now included the product in their ranges. We are present in a number of stores, both under our own brand and under private label, and we have developed packaging for both the fresh-cut and the more traditional fresh market sectors. There is also a lot of interest in the food service channel, mainly restaurants with a focus on high quality products. Our reference market at the moment is Italy, but we are also seeing some interest from other countries. In some we have just started. We can say that the market is divided into 80% Italian and 20% foreign." These are the words of Fabio Altamura, vice-president of the Altamura producers' organisation, based in Pontecagnano Faiano (SA).
"In terms of production, the demand for and interest in Rucola della Piana del Sele PGI and our baby leaf products is growing, and the number of hectares produced by our members is increasing year-over-year. In this complex historical moment, characterised by an uncertain geopolitical situation, reduced consumer purchasing power and climate change, the main demands of member producers relate to the need for greater networking and cooperation," he says.
"Farmers face significant challenges, but with good planning and increased awareness by all those involved in the sector, the risks can be minimised. Our growers are asking for support to improve crop planning, optimise available resources and work together to address climate and market challenges."
The combination of rocket and cuisine represents an opportunity for this herb
"The combination of rocket with the world of fine dining, or more generally with the world of cooking, represents a fundamental opportunity to enhance the value of Piana del Sele PGI Rocket. By using this product in their recipes, chefs are enhancing the characteristics of the product. Its visibility in the media channels is enhanced by its intrinsic characteristics. This type of collaboration helps to increase consumer awareness of the label and improve the perception of its quality," continues Altamura. "We are also seeing great interest in the pizza sector, where the use of rocket and all our baby leaf products is becoming increasingly popular, thanks in particular to the research and innovation carried out by pizza chefs."
"For example, the pizza of one of our customers, which is one of the 100 best pizzerias in the world, is made with rocket in three textures: fresh, powdered - also supplied by us - and cream," says Fabio Altamura.
Medium- and short-term goals of the producer organisation
"We want to consolidate our presence on the market and we will continue to work towards this in the medium and short term, with a constant focus on quality and innovation. At the moment there are no major innovations in varieties or growing techniques. We have some ideas and experiments, but it is too early to talk about innovations that can be fully introduced into production. It is clear that optimising the available resources and tools is fundamental," says Altamura. Our efforts are focused on implementing innovative solutions that take advantage of technology. As far as packaging is concerned, we have always been attentive to the development of new solutions; there will be some novelties that we will present during the forthcoming trade fairs," he explains.
"Logistics continues to be an important hub that we have always managed internally, with a dedicated office that deals exclusively with finding the best solutions and optimising the transport of goods. We serve almost all European markets with a well-structured organisation, but we are not excluding the possibility of changes in the future. Perhaps the new Salerno-Costa d'Amalfi airport, located between Salerno and Battipaglia, will provide opportunities," concludes Fabio Altamura.
Article photos courtesy of Op Altamura.
For more information:
Op Altamura
Via Pacinotti
Pontecagnano Faiano (SA) - Italy
Email: [email protected]
www.opaltamura.com