AVEZZANO. Fucino potatoes do not fear competition from the Egyptian ones that are invading the Italian market. The alarm was raised by Coldiretti’s friendly campaign and concerns the whole of Italy where, in the last few months alone, imports of tubers have grown by 18%. Last year, 791 million kilos of foreign potatoes managed to cross national borders and were then placed on the market.
IMPORTS
First there were French potatoes, then German ones. Now the Egyptian ones have arrived to compete with the Fucino potato, one of the best-selling in Italy, which however, due to its quality and organoleptic properties, does not fear competition. Coldiretti performed an analysis on Istat data on the occasion of the first international Campagna Amica market day with the FAO. The examination revealed that the potato has a strategic role in the global diet and its production is around 3.75 billion quintals. Of these, in 2023 alone, 791 million arrived from foreign markets on Italian tables. 39% more than in the past. And this figure is destined to grow because since the beginning of the year there has already been an increase of 18% with the arrival of Egyptian potatoes. Then there are 288 million kilos that arrive frozen and 74 million kilos cooked and frozen, as well as 10 million kilos of ready-made chips. The latter are often “passed off” as Italian potatoes because the last step, i.e. processing, takes place in Italy and there is no trace of the tuber’s origin on the package you purchase. In 2023, 13 million quintals of potatoes were produced in Italy, of which almost 10 million were common potatoes on 32,000 hectares, plus 3 million quintals of new potatoes on just over 13,000 hectares, with 19 thousand producing agricultural companies.
THE FUCINO
Abruzzo is among the top places in the ranking for potato production. In 2023, according to Istat data, 1.8 million quintals of potatoes arrived on the table, almost exclusively produced in Fucino. Of these 300 thousand quintals are labeled IGP potatoes from Fucino, «DOC» recognized by the EU. A figure destined to grow and which, according to industry experts, does not fear foreign competition, particularly the latest Egyptian one. “Our potato is harvested in August and we store it until May,” he explained Mario Nucci, director of the consortium for the protection of the Fucino PGI potato, «this year they finished earlier also due to the climatic conditions. The Fucense product is in great demand, it is clear that placing it on the market is easy because everyone knows its properties. Italy has always imported potatoes from various countries and in recent years the figure has increased. But the PGI Fucino potato is unique, it does not fear competition. The consumer who wants this type of potato does not go looking for others.” The production of the Fucino potato with a high percentage of phosphorus also began in 2023, in light of the patent which was arrived at from an idea by Nucci.
NO PROBLEM
Also according to the director of Coldiretti Domenico Roselli, the Fucino potato has nothing to fear. «This year’s production», he said, «promises to be excellent, even with good prices, we have no fears for the Fucino potato. However, there is reason to fear for products passed off as Italian thanks to the customs code on the origin of foods. This rule allows other productions to make a product become Italian even if it is not.”
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