"The bergamot market is at a standstill due to a number of concurrent causes: firstly, the drop in consumption, and secondly, the refusal of some leading processing industries to withdraw the product, forcing producers to their knees. Overall, despite the fact that we withdrew the product under the conditions established at the beginning of the campaign, i.e. at 67 cents/kg, producer prices are 15% lower than in the previous campaign. The difficulty of finding a commercial outlet for some 3,000 tons of unsold bergamot is now added to the deep disappointment of growers struggling to make this crop profitable," says Fabio Trunfio, owner and commercial manager of the Patea farm.
Fabio Trunfio, owner and commercial manager of the Patea farm
Agricola Patea, located in Brancaleone (RC), specializes in the processing of essential oils extracted from citrus fruits, which it promotes with great commitment, also with the aim of revitalizing the production of Reggio Calabria bergamot through the recognition of the PGI label. In addition to the production of fresh bergamot, it markets a wide range of processed products such as juices, jams, bitters, liqueurs, and candied bergamot. Constant and intense promotional activities are carried out in order to make known and appreciate internationally the numerous characteristics of this citrus fruit, which grows only in a part of the Ionian coast of Reggio Calabria.
Amaro Cardus is the result of a forty-day infusion of three healthy products: wild thistle, blueberry, and the precious aromatic peel of Reggio Calabria bergamot. It is a blend of healthy ingredients with an alcoholic content of 28%.
"After the launch of the Bitter Cardus in 2023, this year begins under the banner of product novelties with the Aloe and Bergamot juices, processed with Calabrian raw ingredients."
The company has diversified its range of juices in an innovative way over the years. Among the more popular products are Tris Energy Juice, a natural juice obtained from the pressing of organic fruits from Calabria, including pomegranate, bergamot, and fresh Italian goji berry, and the new 100% organic orange juice of the Valencia variety from the Ionic coast of Reggio Calabria, Italy, available in 200ml and 750ml. The latest addition to the range of branded products, after the Cardus Bitter - also an Oscar Green 2023 winner - is the milk cream made with the same ingredients as the bitter.
"We want to give an impulse to the sector of the processed products, aiming above all at the innovation of the products, also thanks to the richness of the biodiversity of Calabria. The selection of our products is always based on the respect and the link with the territory, on the genuineness and the care of nutritional products. These products are not only a market niche, but they are also highly appreciated by consumers. We are not only talking about bergamot but also about our Calabrian citrus fruits, blueberries, and mangoes, on which we focus a lot with our associate producers in order to create a well-organized supply chain. The new entry "Aloe and Bergamot Juice" is one of the new products we will launch at Tuttofood 2025."
Despite the bureaucratic delays", concludes Fabio Trunfio, "Among the novelties with which we inaugurate 2025 is the long-awaited and important approval of the PGI 'Bergamot di Reggio Calabria', which provides for the production and processing of the product exclusively in the defined geographical area and extends to agri-food derivatives. The Protected Geographical Indication will finally protect the local supply chain from the introduction, in recent years, of bergamot production from other southern provinces and regions, which has been sold on the market at low prices. From this point of view, unfortunately, we are a long way behind and we need to catch up as quickly as possible."
Patea sells about 30% of its fresh bergamot in the large retail channel and the rest in specialized channels as a processed product. Around 100 hectares are cultivated and the fruit is distributed through various channels, with the processed product outperforming the fresh in terms of profitability, both in Italy and abroad.
For more information:
Fabio Trunfio
Azienda Agricola Patea
Contrada Caldara s.n.
89036 Brancaleone (RC) - Italy
+39 338 6311477
info@essenzabergamotto.com
www.essenzabergamotto.com