"As we enter the first week of January, we can say that the Syracuse lemon season has reached its peak. The phenological phase of veraison is nearing completion, and the fruit has now fully acquired its characteristic yellow hue," says Silvia Magliocco, sales manager for Italy at PASAM Agrumi, a Sicilian agricultural cooperative specializing in the production and distribution of Syracuse lemons, with a particular focus on organic varieties.
Silvia Magliocco
Our lemon groves cover an area of 380 hectares, a large part of which is certified organic," explains the manager. "This allows us to have an adequate supply all year round, from Primofiore to Verdello. Among the advantages of our product is the fact that it also qualifies for the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) label, and contains high-quality essential oils and high levels of vitamin C and citric acid. As part of our company policy, we have decided that all our members must be certified producers of Syracuse IGP lemons, so the fruit must come from the certified area. We carry out regular tests on the Brix level of the pulp and the acidity of the juice of the citrus fruit supplied."
"We are a producers' cooperative," continues Magliocco, "and we are often at odds with a European context in which policies continue to favor non-EU products rather than promoting Sicilian and Italian citrus fruits. Just look at the umpteenth blow dealt to our agriculture by the Mercosur agreement. We consider this pact to be totally inadequate since it provides for the elimination of customs duties on 91% of exports and 92% of imports. But while European exports are concentrated on industrial goods, the Mercosur countries (the South American Common Market) export mainly agri-food products, i.e. products that compete with ours, but with food safety and environmental standards that are far from European standards."
"A lot is said about food safety, environmental certification, and consumer protection. However, when it comes to buying food from countries with the highest use of harmful pesticides, it is made more favorable. In addition, price surveys in the northern Italian market have shown that the prices of foreign products, although still European, are practically the same, if not higher, than those of Italian products, despite transport costs. As a result, Italian consumers are increasingly opting for cheaper foreign products, such as Spanish lemons, rather than local produce, a phenomenon that has taken us by surprise."
"Our target markets are central Europe and the north of Italy, with a particular focus on the large retail trade. This is a decade-long relationship that we need to cultivate, so we regularly attend major Italian and international exhibitions. In January we will be present at Marca in Bologna, and in February we will have a stand in the Sicilian Region pavilion at Fruit Logistica 2025 in Berlin."
For more information:
Silvia Magliocco
P.A.S.A.M. Citrus fruits
Soc. Coop. Agricola a r.l.
Agricultural Producers
Syracuse Associated Magliocco
+39 0931 1965420
info@pasamagrumi.it
www.pasamagrumi.it