Susprises for the Italian stone fruit season

Fresh Nectarines FreshPlaza has asked Ulrich Spieckermann of Mazzoni Group a comment on the actual Italian stone fruit season. Mazzoni is one of the most important fresh produce groups in Italy and it is located in Emilia-Romagna region (near the city of Ferrara)."Our summer campaign is going to reveal many surprises - Ulrich says - with continuous changes. For example, volumes appear to be different in comparison with Europech 2008 forecasts. Weather conditions, with a lot of rainy days, and the late effects of some spring frosts are causing volume's reductions with regard to some peaches and nectarines varieties".At the moment, Mazzoni Group is busy harvesting and packaging stone fruit in some Southern Italy regions, as Calabria and Latium: "With regard to nectarines - Ulrich says - after the Early Top, Rose Diamond, Big Bang, Laura and Rita Star varieties, the harvest of Big Top will start in Calabria about next June 20. Big Top has suffered weather damages in Northern Italy, with negative consequences on the available volumes"."The same situation shows in our peaches production - Ulrich explains - Volumes are lower than in the past, also due to a continuous acreage reduction in the main producing Italian region (Emilia-Romagna). Many trees have been cut in the last years without new ones planted in substitution. Unfavorable weather conditions have done the rest".Mazzoni Groups has got own packaging lines in the main stone fruit producing areas in Italy and it provides this products for the whole season, from May to September. Besides peaches and nectarines, Mazzoni produces melons, watermelons and apricots, summer pears and apples, Summerkiwi (almost at the end of the season). Fresh carrots are available the whole year round."We have recently started selling precocious table grapes varieties from Sicily and Apulie. Main destinations for this product are Russia and Ukraine. We provide all the principal varieties, seedless ones included", as Ulrich says, concluding: "Top-quality potatoes in various packagings are also available for our national and international partners, together with the appreciate garlic from Voghiera".