The vegetable campaign is in full swing, productions are regular and demand is peaking. Yet not everything is going as it should be, as the segment has to deal with problems that used to be unimaginable up until a few years ago. FreshPlaza has talked about it with Vittorio Gona from Alba Bio.

"We should be pleased with how things are going but, instead, we have to deal with problems that go beyond our responsibilities and our ability to resolve them. For example, we are currently reaching our busiest time of year, yet we have to deal with the lack of labor: we produce, package and ship produce to various markets, which requires personnel available to work in this sector." 

"We cannot find workers - either seasonal or full-time. We need to find a way to match the need to work, even from foreign countries, with the existing demand, maybe also involving migrants in search for opportunities. Agricultural activities have a lot to offer."

But there is more, as agriculture also has to deal with the effects of climate change, which is putting the production systems to the test year after year.

"Another factor has been climate change: temperatures have been abnormal and the non-existent rain is also putting water procurement at risk. We do not know what to expect for the next seasons."

"We will continue to do our best to compensate the lack of quantities. Prices are on average 7-8% higher than last year, though they do not cover the higher costs of raw materials we have had to deal with."

"As for market quotations, plum tomatoes sell at €2.00/kg, cherry tomatoes at € 1.70 kg, bell peppers at € 1.80 kg, smooth round tomatoes at € 1.60 kg, zucchini at € 0.90 kg and eggplants at € 1.70 kg."

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com