After a difficult winter season on apple and kiwi references, due to market instabilities linked to the international geopolitical situation and exponential increases in energy and raw material costs, and after the first real commercial season of cherry, just ended, the producers and infrastructures of Sanifrutta, a Piedmontese cooperative that is a member of the Verzuolo-based Op Joinfruit, have now been launched for about 10 days on the harvesting, processing and shipping throughout Europe of some references that have always been cornerstones of the company's offerings, namely peaches and nectarines.
Despite the “dark years” related to the market crises of recent seasons, the group has continued to believe in this reference, always trying to remunerate members in the best way possible even during the most dramatic periods of market crisis.
Today's results confirm the excellent work done in the past by Joinfruit management, together with the sales and technical departments: of about 120 member farms together with Sanifrutta, which are steadily increasing, growing peaches and nectarines on an area of about 400 hectares, with a trend between new plantings and renewals of about 15-20 hectares average/year in the last 5 years, and which will guarantee in the 2022 season an indicative gross production of about 13,000 tons of commercial product.
The technical department of the PO, now more than ever, has to cope with the newly introduced problems, caused also and especially by climate change, and work on the constant varietal updates in order to “select” the most suitable cultivars for the growing area.
“In 2005, the year I began my work in this company,” says Alex Tallone, head of the Sanifrutta and Joinfruit technical office, "the varietal registries of peaches and nectarines contributed by producers numbered about twenty-five varieties or perhaps even more. Today, however, the varieties grown by our members number about ten at most. Many cultivars, now obsolete, have been replaced by more rustic, more productive varieties with better organoleptic characteristics. The goal in recent years has been to select the best commercial varieties available on the market and create our optimal varietal range, in order to be able to cover the entire span of the season-from the beginning of July to the beginning of September-with just a few varieties, distinguished by very high quality standards and a similar aesthetic appearance, in order to be able to guarantee the end customer the greatest possible homogeneity of supply, from start to finish.".
Alberto Boschero, technical manager of Joinfruit, adds, “The peach grower can no longer afford mistakes. The varieties he plants nowadays must be hardy, for a guarantee of productivity and constancy, from high quality standards in terms of average size at harvest and epidermis color. And, of course, they must be good, in fact very good to eat for the end consumer. In recent seasons as never before, field issues are ever-increasing: the introduction of new diseases (both entomological and fungal) and the ever-diminishing weapons available to farmers are the order of the day. It is crucial to ensure that technical support is always attentive, because really the slightest mistake can cause a year's crop of sacrifices to be lost, the case of new mealybugs being an example of this.”.
From a commercial point of view, Enzo Garnero says, “The European markets are receptive to the product at the moment, thanks certainly to the shortage of Spanish goods due to the spring frost and the excellent quality of the Italian product. In addition, the excellent weather conditions in northern Europe are pushing purchases at the moment, although the unknown factor of inflation remains a sword of Damocles on consumption for the weeks to come. However, we are optimistic for a good trading season.”.
Eraldo Barale, president of Joinfruit and Ceo of Sanifrutta, concludes: “The 2022 production looks interesting today in terms of volume and quality of the product on the plant, and then on the packaging lines. The increase in production costs for our fruit growers should not be underestimated (diesel >€1.40/lt; increase in the prices of technical means, etc.) in addition to the very serious drought situation that is gripping our growing area, where every drop of water is now precious in order to bring the fruit of a year's work to harvest. The same cost increases are also important then in the plant, where with the uncontrollable price of energy, as well as increases related to packaging and materials, one cannot make the slightest mistake.”.
The president continues, “The market outlook would seem to be good: the quality of the product is at the highest level in the last 10 years, probably also thanks to weather conditions that are absolutely suitable for this species. The drought certainly affected the average fruit calibers, especially of the early varieties, but those who worked well in the field, with mechanical flower thinning and thinning on the fruit, along with basic agronomic operations, are harvesting a product of exceptional quality.”.
“Certainly the European geopolitical situation is going through a very delicate moment, the end consumer is seeing his purchasing power “eroded” due to gas and electricity increases and therefore is more careful about expenses. At this juncture, the only way to get people to buy our product is to offer the end consumer an exceptional and recognizable fruit,” Barale concludes.
For more information
Sanifrutta Soc. Agr. Cooperativa
Via dei Falchi 13, 12024
Costigliole Saluzzo (CN)
+39 0175 230061
sanifrutta@sanifrutta.com
www.sanifrutta.com
Joinfruit Consortium Company a.r.l.
Fruit and Vegetable Producers Organization
Via al Castello 13
12039 Verzuolo (CN)
+39 0175 230807
info@joinfruit.com
www.joinfruit.com
