Late Tarocco from Sicily arrives a month earlier

© Il Girasole soc. coop."The trend described last month of lower consumption of citrus fruit compared to previous years is confirmed, probably due to the reduced purchasing power of families, with retail sales showing negative percentages both in value (-0.4%) and volume (-0.6%). On the other hand, the paradigm has changed concerning the availability of fruit, which has been reduced by up to 50% in some cases due to bad weather. In fact, in Sicily, we have gone from extreme drought to waves of persistent rain that we have not seen in years," says Giovanni Scavo, sales manager of the Sicilian company, Il Girasole Soc. Coop.

"Considering that we are therefore faced with a reduced availability of citrus compared to March 2024," explains Giovanni Scavo, "we will focus on the late varieties, specifically Tarocco Meli and Tarocco Sant'Alfio. We have started harvesting the first batches of Tarocco Meli, anticipating the marketing by more than a month, considering that we normally don't start harvesting before 10 or 15 April. Despite the early harvest, the Brix degree is high because, paradoxically, the drought has improved some of the organoleptic characteristics of the citrus fruit, increasing the sugar concentration and the aromatic qualities of the fruit."

© Il Girasole soc. coop.

The availability of citrus fruit was reduced by 50 percent. This was compounded by rainy weather, which favored the development of fungal diseases, and strong winds, which scratched the surface of the fruit, making it unsuitable for marketing with a higher-than-average percentage of waste and making it prone to pathogen attack.

© Il Girasole soc. coop.

The commercial calendar of Il Girasole covers the whole year, from early to late varieties. The commercial channels include a large organized distribution in Italy and abroad, where the presence of the brand is increasing year by year, especially in Germany, France, and the Netherlands. However, this year, which has been particularly marked by damage, the consequent poor preservation of the fruit has led to lower demand from abroad. In terms of production, the introduction of new varieties on the market, including early and late ones, has broadened the marketing campaign for citrus fruit, in parallel with improvements in the quality of production, both in terms of resistance to pathogen attack and the higher levels of anthocyanins found in blood oranges.

© Il Girasole soc. coop.

"In a citrus campaign that is both challenging and complicated," emphasizes Giovanni Scavo, "our priority is to guarantee a certain margin for our member growers, who are faced with increasing costs, mainly due to the water shortage, which often entails higher costs for transport and the various water withdrawals that require electric or diesel-powered engines. Another consequence of the water crisis is the reduction in the size of citrus fruits, which makes it more difficult to add value and obtain a fair return for the expenses incurred. In addition, the price of the product delivered to the industries is also decreasing. In conclusion, due to the above problems, it is unlikely that the citrus harvest in Sicily will continue until May. However, where it will be possible, especially due to the firmness of the fruit, there will also be interesting prices.

© Il Girasole soc. coop.

The products are packaged in classic cartons, customized with the two historical brands of the cooperative, Felicia and Donna Rosae, in different weights and sizes, as well as in supermarket packaging in Girsac or Vertbag nets, in Ifco or CPR boxes. The cooperative's distribution channels are currently wholesale markets and supermarkets, where the products are gradually gaining very important ground.