In Vignola, in the province of Modena, the municipal fruit and vegetable market is undergoing a period of change. At the end of April, there were four concessionaires operating in the market: two small ones that remained and two large ones, one of which recently moved its operations to a private warehouse.
Paola Pelloni, owner of the Nuovo Ortomercato Vignola company, confirmed the situation to myfruit.it, explaining the reasons behind the move: "The structure of the market is now obsolete and in a state of disrepair. I preferred to move the employees to the new warehouse. It's a difficult time for producers as well, although the demand for pears, cherries, and plums remains high."
Emilia Muratori, mayor of Vignola, confirmed that one of the two major concessionaires terminated their contract and recalled that a tender was issued to reassign the space, but without success.
Looking to the future, the mayor explained that the concession for the remaining concessionaire will expire in 2025 and there are currently no signs of withdrawal. "We will let the cherry season pass and then make a decision on the vacant space."
"The two smaller concessionaires have renewed their contract, and we will hold a new competition to allocate the vacant area. Additionally, those who remain have requested to use additional stalls beyond those provided by the contract, indicating that the business is doing well."
Regarding criticisms of the market conditions, the mayor stated: "We have initiated a renovation of some areas. The market requires significant, albeit costly, extraordinary maintenance. When we issued the tender, two concessionaires emerged compared to the previous one, and each concessionaire needed their autonomy. For this reason, we built a processing room that was missing in one of the two lots."
The mayor also highlighted another resolved issue: "We have installed a fire ring with an investment exceeding €200,000, a significant project for Vignola Patrimonio. Although we are aware that there is still work to be done, as soon as we have the necessary financial resources, Vignola Patrimonio has already identified the priorities. It is not true that nothing has been done; our goal is to find the resources to gradually address all needs."
Source: myfruit.it
Image: Comune di Vignola
13 Feb 2025
Researchers from the Hellenic International University (Greece) have attempted to identify environmental issues arising during the cherry production process in order to reduce negative environmental impacts, and optimize production through redesigning the product flow diagram.
01 Nov 2024
In susceptibility tests carried out at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain), the larvae of the pest showed a high susceptibility to the three treatments applied, with a mortality rate of between 75% and 95%.
24 Apr 2026
Cheery Glow, Bloom Fresh’s early cherry, is expanding in Chile with 200 hectares. Low chill requirement, high quality and up to 60 days storage make it ideal for export to China, Europe and the United States, helping growers face climate challenges and competitive global markets.
24 Apr 2026
Paclife Conference 2026 focuses on cherries, postharvest, automation and global markets, highlighting how data, innovation and integrated logistics are crucial drivers to ensure quality, competitiveness and value across the Chilean and international export supply chain.
