The first harvesting operations of Rojo Brillante persimmons grown in Southern Italy are set to start in early October. The season seems therefore to be starting on schedule, so the campaign is looking interesting on both the production and commercial fronts.
"We are really pleased to see the excitement of operators, who have felt this way since the beginning of summer, when it was still difficult to make a forecast on the harvest and therefore to agree on supply programs. Considering demand, we are working hard to ship the first crates between October 8 and 13, over 10 days earlier than last season," explains Francesca Gallicchio (pictured below), managing director of Gallicchio Frutta Srl, a company that last autumn launched the Divino - Il kaki italiano™ brand on the Italian and foreign markets.
"The drop in temperature over the past few days is benefiting the plants, so we are expecting a positive campaign. There is no sign of pests and/or diseases, nor of any other agronomic problem. The situation seems optimal and everything has been going well so far. Veraison has already started in some orchards in Puglia and Basilicata."
The estimated volumes for the 2024/25 campaign amount to around 2,200 tonnes from 10 official suppliers, plus occasional purchased lots from southern Italian regions such as Puglia, Calabria, Basilicata and Sicily.
"We are not registering a drop in yields, but rather a slight drop in grades for some plants, due to the prolonged drought that has affected our territory," adds Gallicchio. "Having fruit that is too large can often be a handicap when it comes to placing it on the market. The ideal size of Rojo Brillante persimmons is in fact 240 to 300 g."
There are two types of packaging that will characterize the second season of Divino persimmons: 2 kg boxes and customized 30x50x9 cm crates with single-layer cells up to 5 kg. "In addition, we can offer packaging from the Tosca Italy, Cpr and Ifco circuits. Italian and European operators are very interested in the produce. Our regular customers are both wholesale markets and big retail chains."
For more information:
Divino - The Italian kaki
Gallicchio Frutta Srls
Via Piemonte n. 36/b
75020 Scanzano Jonico (MT)
335 5872063 (Antonio)
334 8121776 (Francesca)
[email protected]
Ilkakidivino.com
Facebook.com/DivinoIlkakiItaliano