In the 2024/25 season, the total quantities sold under the Divino - the Italian persimmon brand amount to about 2,800 tonnes of product, compared to 1,700 tonnes in the previous season.
There are currently 10 associated growers, mainly located in the regions of Basilicata, Apulia, and Calabria, covering a total of 87 hectares compared to the 64 one year ago. New companies are in the process of joining the network, after the company that owns the brand collected new membership applications at the start of the season.
Fruit grower Antonello Savoia (pictured above), with 13 hectares dedicated to Rojo Brillante in Montalbano Jonico (Matera), reports delivering "over 400 tonnes to Gallicchio Frutta in more than 4 months (from October to February). Some of the plants are young, so they have not yet reached full production. Our collaboration has been going on for more than 4 years, even before the brand existed, and developed into a relationship of trust. This is not something to be taken for granted, especially in the agricultural sector, which is often characterized by divisions. It is always the last link in the chain, i.e. us farmers, who pay the price. Nowadays, it is essential to have an entrepreneurial structure behind us to which we deliver the product and which pays us a fair return. What makes the difference is not only the company's willingness to buy entire batches of persimmons and to follow farmers even during the harvesting phase, thanks to its sales network, but also guaranteed and reliable settlements."
Piero Masiello
This was the first-ever harvest for grower Piero Masiello from Scanzano Jonico (Matera), with 4 tonnes of fruit: "For a small one-man business like mine, knowing that you don't have to worry about placing the produce on the market becomes essential to face the season with peace of mind. The possibility of delivering the goods as they are harvested, i.e. without being detained, is also positive. Two hectares are destined for persimmon cultivation, one of which is in its first year of production. I also grow pomegranates, but production costs are much higher for those."
Francesca Gallicchio, managing director of Gallicchio Frutta, adds that "joining Divino does not involve an entry fee, nor are there any contractual conditions that are not convenient for producers. Everything is based on a relationship of mutual trust. We only need guarantees on the volumes available, in order to be able to plan supplies with supermarkets and other Italian and European operators."
"This year was characterized by considerable destocking. Everyone was looking for persimmons, also due to the problems in Spain caused by the bad weather. Already at the beginning of November, when we were shipping up to 30 pallets per day, our brand was doing well in the Italian fruit and vegetable markets as well as in Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania, and Slovenia. Three types of packaging were the most popular: 30x50 and 40x60 cm cardboard boxes, the new 2 kg box, and the 1 kg plastic tray, which is very popular abroad, and which enabled us to promote even the smallest gauges. The new processing line - which features several workstations and was installed when the campaign was already underway - also enabled us to achieve excellent results, as it allowed us to increase the daily volumes packed and ensure precision in fruit sorting. We used 12-, 14-, 15- and 20-fruit cells."
For more information:
Divino - The Italian persimmon
Gallicchio Frutta Srls
Via Piemonte n. 36/b
75020 Scanzano Jonico (MT) - Italy
335 5872063 (Antonio)
334 8121776 (Francesca)
info@ilkakidivino.com
Ilkakidivino.com