Thanks to a particularly dry year without disastrous weather events, the Patfruit cooperative in Bologna is registering perfect onion storage, meaning the campaign will probably last until late spring.
Stefano Campagna
"Over the past few months, we harvested onions from around 400 hectares. Our partners handed in produce that was basically perfect from all points of view. There was very little waste and onion health was excellent, so much so that storage is going very well," explains technician Stefano Campagna.
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Derek and Candor
Among the cultivated varieties, Derek is a golden onion producers have been very pleased with, while Candor stood our among white onions. "The market is also responding well and the gross saleable production will be satisfactory, considering the high yields. Next year, we are planning on maintaining cultivated areas stable. The possibility of managing sowing means the quantity of produce to be sold is in line with client demand."
However, producers have had to deal with a few difficulties, as expenses have increased by around €500-700/hectare due to the higher cost of fuel, fertilizers, pesticides, hoses and plastic.
"It's quite the problem, and it has direct consequences on the net income of producers."