"One of the main colours of December is definitely red. The Red Delicious variety, in all its many clones from the Italian Alps, can bring a very natural touch of festive colour to the table. At the peak of the season, from now until May, we are always ready to take orders and deliver all over the world," says Enzo Garnero, sales manager of Sanifrutta, an Italian agricultural cooperative for the production, processing and packaging of fresh fruit based in Costigliole Saluzzo (Cuneo), and managing director of Aurum Fruit, a trading company based in the Piedmont region that specialises in overseas exports.
Total apple production in Italy is estimated at over 2 million tonnes, slightly down on the previous year (-1%). Contrary to Alto Adige and Trentino, Piedmont shows a recovery with +8%. "This increase is due to the Red Delicious variety, which has returned to normal levels after last year's production shortfall. As for the other varieties, Piedmont's production is in line with previous years. The apple is not a typical Christmas fruit. We are used to having dried or exotic fruits on the table during festive lunches and dinners. But in the European market, and especially in Germany, we are seeing strong demand, which is probably also due to the lack of local production in Germany," continues Garnero. "This year, the country suffered some spring frosts, followed by hailstorms in other areas, which led to a drop in yields".
The quality of the apples from Piedmont is very good this year. "In Piedmont we have had an ideal climate for this fruit. In the weeks leading up to the harvest and during the harvest itself, there were significant temperature fluctuations between day and night, which is a basic requirement for the quality and the colouring of the apples. So this year we can definitely say that the quality is among the best in the last few years. The decumulation plans are going well, as expected," Garnero points out.
"Over the next two months we will continue to focus on Gala apples. After decumulation, stocks of Gala apples are likely to end by the end of February. Other Italian traders expect to finish by the end of March. As the Gala trade declines, the availability and export of Red Delicious and the other classic varieties Granny Smith, Golden and Fuji will increase. We have also recently started exporting Crimson Snow for the European market only. Sanifrutta is part of this club together with Rivoira, Fratelli Clementi and VOG."
As for Red Delicious, Garnero says the best markets are Germany, North Africa and India. "When we talk about overseas, Red Delicious is 100% waxed, because we follow the American example. In the European market it is more subjective, depending on the destination."
Logistics: a focus for overseas exports
"When we talk about exporting fruit, the logistics factor is crucial. Today we are experiencing some serious problems. The closure of all shipping lines through the Suez Canal in the Red Sea has certainly penalised some sellers. The closure is continuing and we wouldn't have been able to afford more distant destinations, such as India or South-East Asia, if we hadn't had the excellent quality we had this year," says Garnero. "From Vado Ligure, our nearest port, it now takes 40 days at best to get to Mumbai, compared with 21 days 12 months ago. This is because there is a round trip to Africa on the way to the final destination. And while the transit time to other ports in India used to be around 25 days, it can now be up to 55 days."
Garnero also points out a peculiarity with regard to India. "The Indian market has been asking for apples since the beginning of the season, which is quite unusual and has never happened before. The Indians usually consume their local production in September, October and November. At the moment, demand from the Indian market is slowly increasing for some varieties, not yet for others, but we expect demand to start increasing in January and February. Of course, there are always logistical problems."
For more information:
Enzo Garnero
[email protected]
Sanifrutta
12024 Costigliole Saluzzo (CN) - Italy
Tel.: +39 0175 230061
sanifrutta.com
Aurum Fruit Srl
Via dei falchi 3
12024 Costigliole Saluzzo (CN) - Italy
+39 0175 239488
www.aurumfruit.com