"We are ready to start the harvest of PGI potatoes from Sila, which will continue until mid-November. The early start is due to a dry winter and a mild spring with no weather extremes, which allowed sowing to take place a few days earlier than usual. The warm temperatures of late spring and early summer favoured crop growth, but the record hot summer caused some problems. In addition, the last 10 days of August were marked by heavy hailstorms,'"says Albino Carli, director of the Potato Producers' Association Consortium (PPAS).
All this will lead to slightly lower yields than initially expected. We are currently expecting a 10% drop, which we hope to at least partially recover with the late varieties. Most of the product will be in the medium size range."
On the commercial front, "the PGI potato from Sila is a recognised, different and delicious product that now has its own position on the market, regardless of price fluctuations and the dynamics of the sector, even if the market for conventional products has fallen by a few percentage points due to the larger northern European market. In this context, I believe that the reference prices will be similar to those of last year, around 1.40 euro/kg for the main reference of 1.5 kg," explains Carli.
Unlike last year's campaign, which started later in October, this year's launch is scheduled for next week, between 10 and 15 September. "We are confident that we will be on the shelves of Italian supermarkets within seven days. This also means an extra month of sales," says the PPAS Consortium director.
Whether it's PGI potatoes from Sila or sweet potatoes, Carli says he feels the products are appealing to both large retailers and end consumers. "This bodes well for a positive campaign. There's a popular saying: 'Allow me to become a prophet and I'll make you rich'. Now we just have to wait and see what happens."
Sweet potatoes
"The higher temperatures have favoured a more regular ripening of the sweet potatoes, with a better quality yield, also in terms of size. From the first inspections, the product looks very good. The marketing of this reference will start after 10 September. The aim is to promote more and more sweet potatoes of Italian origin. The investment in the area is about the same as last year and the producers are learning more and more how to handle the product better," concludes Carli.
For more information:
Consorzio produttori patate associati Soc. Coop. Agricola
C/da Garga 4 - S.S. 107 km 83,400
87055 San Giovanni in Fiore (CS) - Italy
[email protected]
www.patateppas.it