News about Italy

Bad weather in northern Italy, crop damage in the Modena area: up to 50% losses

Production

27 May 2024

Recent storms have severely damaged crops of the emblematic fruit in the Vignola and Savignano areas. According to the producers, 40% to 50% of the cherry production in the Modena area has been compromised.

Apulia region (IT) in trouble due to weather: 50% drop for Ferrovia cherries

Production

27 May 2024

Coldiretti Puglia has denounced this collapse in cherry production and requested the recognition of a state of natural disaster from the Puglia Region. The situation is made even more difficult by rising production costs and the severe drought.

Full start for Vignola and Emilia-Romagna region (IT): 3,000 tonnes of high quality expected

Production

20 May 2024

As for the quantities, this year we will express our full production potential of 3,000 tons, after a particularly poor 2023’ says Enrico Bucchi, General Manager of Valfrutta Fresco 'Last week we started with the first harvests and this week we are already at full capacity'.

Problems and prospects of cerasiculture in southern Italy

Quality

17 May 2024

Southern Italy's cerasiculture is the national benchmark in terms of both area and production. On the other hand, the propensity to renew the crop, to new varieties and rootstocks as well as to protection structures, is proceeding slowly.

Bad weather in Veneto (IT): cracking on early varieties and Drosophila suzukii feared

Tech management

16 May 2024

The start of the harvest, originally scheduled for May 20th, will be compromised by the impending losses due to prolonged rains and low temperatures for the season, while late varieties, with a delay in ripening, seem to have been saved for the moment.

Problems and prospects for cherry growing in northern Italy: -15% of production in 15 years

Quality

15 May 2024

Italy continues to lose positions in the ranking of the largest cherry producers in the world. Currently, the beautiful country is in seventh place, surpassed by Spain and chased by Greece. In just three five-year periods, national production has dropped by 15%.

The Somma dei Monti Lattari Cherry is the new Slow Food Presidium of Campania region (IT)

Specialties

13 May 2024

One of the unique traditions is the art of ‘bagging’ the cherries, arranged in a pyramid shape to prolong their freshness. The cherry harvest runs from the end of May to July and culminates in the annual festival in Borgo di Castello, scheduled from 14 to 16 June.

At Vivai Battistini the ribbon was cut for VitroLeaf, Europe's largest propagation laboratory

Events

08 May 2024

Not a simple laboratory but a true vertical farm animated by robots that speed up work thanks to production in a sterile environment. Paolo Laghi explains the novelty of this innovation to Cherry Times.

In Apulia (IT), early harvest for the Bigarreau variety

Production

30 Apr 2024

Giacomo Giotta, owner of the eponymous company in Conversano, is preparing to start harvesting the Bigarreau variety next weekend, about two weeks earlier than last year. Yields seem to be higher, with an increase of 20-25%.

Growth in world trade over the last ten years shows over 900,000 tonnes and +266% growth

Markets

24 Apr 2024

From 2013 to 2022, world production increased from 2.3 to 2.75 million tonnes, while trade flows rose from 350,000 to 940,000 tonnes, an increase of 266%. The value of traded goods reached a record 4.3 billion euro.