Difficult year for winter vegetables such as artichokes, fennel and broccoli, authentic Apulian excellences threatened both by climate change and by unscrupulous competition from foreign products (especially Egyptian and Tunisian), widely present on the market. While trade associations are calling for EU intervention, companies such as Cericola Srl from Foggia are committed to guaranteeing even more quality at a fair price. But there is growing concern about the impact of climate change on future campaigns
by Maddalena De Franchis
Vito Cifarelli, marketing and sales manager of Cericola Srl
The alarm was raised about a month ago by Coldiretti Puglia, which had reported to producers forced to bury winter vegetables such as fennel and broccoli or, alternatively, give them away to citizens willing to collect them independently in the fields. The dramatic drop in selling prices of some products makes the revenues insufficient to remunerate the costs incurred by farmers, to the point that it is no longer even worth proceeding with the harvest. But how did we arrive at this paradoxical situation and what could be the solutions? We asked Vito Cifarellimarketing and sales manager of Cericola Srl, an important Foggia group specialized in the cultivation and marketing of various winter vegetables, including, in particular, artichokes, broccoli and cauliflower. Specifically, as regards the artichoke, Cericola created – together with Apofruit Italia and La Mongolfiera – the project Violìa brand created to enhance the premium quality Italian artichoke and its production chain.
A season undermined by climate change
“For the artichokes (and for other typically winter products, such as brassicas), the performance of the 2023/2024 season can be divided into two parts – begins Cifarelli -: a first part, between November and January, marked by the absence of precipitation and the consequent drop in production; a second part, above all the month of Marchcharacterized by abundant rainfall and colder temperatures, responsible for a notable acceleration of the production process. This has turned the programs of all agricultural companies upside down, even the most structured ones, who were unable to do anything else invade the market with a huge quantity of product, at prices much lower than originally estimated. The adversities caused by climate change they are difficult to predict and generate unpredictable responses by the plants: it is another of the innovations that we producers will necessarily have to get used to in the near future”.
Rock-bottom prices: foreign competition is also to blame
The heavy drop in production, which artichokes were especially affected in the first part of the campaign, had already opened the doors to competitors from non-EU countries (Egypt first and foremost), with prices far lower than the average for the Italian product. The local product was subsequently added to the overabundance of product already available on the market, favored by the mix of rain and low temperatures that occurred in March. “The same problem – specifies Cifarelli – affected broccoli and fennel and, moving on to fruit, the citrus fruits”.
Possible solutions
According to Cifarelli, there is only one solution and it is called “pricing management”, i.e. constant negotiation of prices through dialogue with the brands large-scale distribution. Of course, one will be needed greater flexibility on both sides, as climate change now considered irreversible will have to be taken into account. “It is not always correct for us producers to say that we sell the product to large-scale retail chains for 60 cents and they resell it for 1.50 or 2 euros to the final consumer – concludes Cifarelli -. It is more correct to say, however, that we find, especially in the last year, a general decline in fruit and vegetable consumption: this must push us to do more, to seek quality and offer it at a fair price. The end customer must continue to be the barometer of our workeven more so in times in which we have to face foreign competition that is increasingly unscrupulous and attentive to the needs of the market”.
Copyright: Fruitbook Magazine
