CGA was passed on from father to son over 50 years, gaining the trust of clients not only in Italy, but also abroad in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Croatia and Malta thanks to its tradition, genuineness and passion. "At CGA, we work to offer high-quality healthy produce. We grow and commercialize citrus fruits, prickly pears and vegetables selected from the best Sicilian producers," explains sales manager Giuseppe Cucuzza.

The citrus fruit production is 1600 tons and includes oranges, clementines, tangerines and lemons, then there are Canary yellow and netted melons, artichokes greenhouse vegetables (tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, eggplants, etc.) and prickly pears.

"Our citrus groves cover 56 hectares in Palagonia, Lentini and Ramacca. These areas are renowned for the production of blood oranges, with soils rich in minerals that favor a high product quality starting from the organoleptic characteristics. Our crops are managed fully respecting the environment with few pesticides and artificial weeders. Thanks to the skilled personnel and state-of-the-art machinery, we are always ready to meet the needs of our clients, even when it comes to packaging. Logistics helps fast shipments and deliveries for orders of all volumes, guaranteeing the freshness of the products."  

"Our citrus fruits include the Tarocco (Normale, Nocellare and Gallo), Moro, Sanguinelle and Valencia orange varieties, seedless "Etna" clementines and traditional and late tangerines."

As for prickly pears (80 tons), they are processed with special machines to supply consumers with fruits without spines.

The company also commercializes a vast range of firstlings thanks to the collaboration with the most modern greenhouse companies "The wide range enables us to meet the needs of supermarkets and large traders."

The company holds the IFS, GRASP, EurepGAP and GlobalGAP certifications and is part of  Consorzio di Tutela Arancia Rossa di Sicilia IGP. The processing facility is equipped with cold storage units and covers 1,500 sq m, with a 3.500 sq m courtyard to facilitate loading and unloading operations. 

The competition
"Our main competitors on the Swiss, German and Belgian markets are are Spain and North Africa. However, we must say Sicilian blood oranges are a unique product that is not grown anywhere else. Although productions are lower, this year we are being mostly affected by the reduced purchasing power of consumers, the damage caused by the recent flood and the strong winds. Blood oranges achieve an average of €0.50-0.80/kg, while late varieties reach €1.00-1.20 at production."

Investments
"The company is getting organized to invest in renewable energy and state-of-the-art equipment. We are also focusing on planting new varieties with rootstocks resistant to the Tristeza virus as well as other highly-pigmented varieties boasting excellent nutritional values (tarocco Ippolito, tarocco Rosso, tarocco Lempso). Of course we already have the equipment and technology to meet all kinds of needs. We are also diversifying production by planting prickly pear plants."

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com