A 4-hectare hazelnut grove, harvesting equipment bought in partnership between two companies, the first produce just 4 years after transplanting - these are the figures illustrated on September 11th at Sirri in Forlì, during a demonstration day organised by Terremerse.
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Marco Casalini and Ilenio Bastoni
"The great attendance shows how much operators are interested in this crop. We have believed in it for several years, and we are now reaping the first fruits," commented Marco Casalini, president of Terremerse,
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Ilenio Bastoni, Giovanni Zarantonello and Marco Babini
"The hazelnut project has now reached 250 hectares, 120 of which has been added over the past 12 months. We must no longer look at what we would like to grow, but rather at what the market demands. And hazelnuts are in great demand," explained Ilenio Bastoni, head of Terremerse's fruit and vegetable sector.
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Sirri grows 4 hectares with a 5x3 layout and a bushy vase training system. The variety is Tonda di Giffoni, which is self-sterile, so pollinators are needed. Irrigation is highly recommended and, in this case, there is a double drip line buried 20-25 cm deep and 40 cm apart.
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Harvesting phase
"Hazelnut trees require a low initial investment of around €5,000/ha, irrigation system excluded. Much of the cost can be financed by the CMO," began Marco Babini, who has been in charge of the project until now and has now handed over the reins to Giovanni Zarantonello,
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Over a hundred participants attended the technical day in Forlì
Moreover, modern and professional hazelnuts require little manpower. "When setting up a crop nowadays, you have to think about labor availability and make choices so that you don't
Enrico Sirri checks the harvested hazelnuts
Sirri has purchased front-mounted harvesting equipment. "The machine consists of a front brush that conveys the hazelnuts to an auger, and these are then sucked up and transferred to the bins at the rear," explains Babini.
"This crop provides income because the price is reasoned from the cost of production. We as a cooperative undertake to collect the product, do a further sorting and then subject the hazelnuts to drying," concludes Bastoni.
For more information
Hazelnut Project