"In the Emilia-Romagna region, many fields are under water, which has caused the loss of some crops such as melons and stone fruit. In Sicily, peaches and nectarines are also produced, and the flowering has been equally affected by the weather. Accordingly, there will be less produce," says Paride Capocefalo, managing director of Pronto Service Ltd. In the case of stone fruit, he expects harvest losses of 40 to 50 percent. He received the first goods from Italy about two weeks ago. The company from Taufkirchen also imports watermelons from Iran and Morocco.

The company sells 100 tons of watermelons per week, which are marketed throughout Germany, and in Austria and Poland. According to the company, demand has been very high, in line with the good weather, while it has been "catastrophic" in view of the continuous rainfall in April and May. "We imported very little at that time. Watermelons from Iran and Morocco were already on their way, while Italy was still waiting for better weather."

Good supply situation for watermelons
Compared to Iranian and Moroccan watermelons, the price difference with Italian produce was 40 to 50 percent, he said. "Suppliers from Italy were proud that they were able to maintain their prices at the beginning of the season, although they have since had to adjust their prices." Merchandise from Morocco, he said, is shipped to Spain and then to France, after which it is transported by trucks to Germany. Iranian goods, in turn, are delivered to Germany via Turkey.

The Iranian season began in early April and ended around late May/early June, while the Moroccan season is expected to end in the next two weeks. "After that, both the Italian and Greek produce will come. There will be plenty of watermelons available. However, there will be fewer cantaloupe melons." The company also offers honey, Galia and Piel de Sapo melons of various types. "We will offer smooth-skinned, seedless as well as other varieties. Our sugar melons have a Brix value of 20 to 22 degrees."

Nationwide delivery of goods
Pronto Service's goods are stored in a refrigerated area of about 6,800 square meters. "Most of the trucks from the Munich wholesale market will drive to our warehouse in Taufkirchen. Here, we work in a joint office with Spedition Schmid and MTG, among others, which gives us the opportunity to deliver throughout Germany," Capocefalo concludes.

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com