Over the past few days, the Sicilian Pachino PGI tomato has been the subject of an educational field trip. An entire morning was dedicated to learning about the production and marketing aspects of a product that takes its name from the town where it is grown and where, 20 years ago, this cherry tomato was named and marketed as Pomodorino Pachino. Today, considerable resources are invested in marketing and communication campaigns organised by the Consorzio di Tutela e Promozione del Pomodoro di Pachino IGP. Over the years, other cherry varieties have been added, such as 'tondo liscio', 'costoluto', 'plum' and 'miniplum'.
The educational delegation in a Pachino PGI greenhouse.
The Pachino PGI tomato can now be found in many Italian shops, from the south to the north of Italy, and abroad, and is one of the few brands that lends itself to B2C communication, in addition to its well-established B2B form. The main objective of the meeting was to provide a first-hand experience and insight into the importance of this product and how it reaches the end consumer directly from the plant.
The training day, organised by the Consorzio delle Denominazioni di Origine Siciliane (Consortium of the Sicilian Denominations of Origin), was attended by stakeholders, members of the press and representatives of the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Sicily (IZS).
Visiting the company GSG Sipione in Ispica (RG). (Click here to see the photo album of the field trip).
The event was made up of two company visits, one to GSG Sipione, where the production phase was demonstrated, with a visit to the greenhouse, and the other to a packaging centre for Pachino PGI tomatoes, at Proagri, where the various steps were illustrated, from the arrival of the tomatoes in the warehouse to their packaging and dispatch to the large retailers, to reach the customers' homes.
The highlight of the event was the introduction by Massimo Pavan, vice-president of the Consortium, who, together with Giuseppe Sipione from the company of the same name, highlighted the dramatic drought conditions that are threatening to "wipe out Sicilian horticulture" and called for immediate measures to be taken. Another problem raised by the Vice-President was the economic crisis that is seriously affecting the sector.
Packaged product about to reach national and international supermarkets.
Prices of EUR 0.40 per kg are an insult
"This year, we sold tomatoes below cost for three consecutive months," says Pavan. "We can't keep waking up in the morning and lose money. Production costs have risen this year because of the water crisis (and the associated costs of pumping water), and so have all the materials needed for production, including pesticides and fertilisers. If we take into account the investments needed for the harvest and the depreciation of the previous harvests, we arrive at a price of 1.40 euros per kilo. On the other hand, we have also sold for less than 0.40 euro/kg. We are in favour of initiatives to establish an average production price as a reference point for the markets.
The extent to which this will have a real impact remains to be seen, but prices hovering around €0.40 per kilo at the point of production, as they have been in recent months, are truly an insult.
The meeting then moved to Pro.Agri, the brand's packaging partner, where Giovanni Iuvara welcomed the participants and explained the details of the internal logistics, packaging and subsequent transport and shelf placement of Pomodoro di Pachino PGI, with particular emphasis on the cold chain.
The day ended with a cooking show, during which the chef prepared some dishes using Pachino PGI tomatoes.
The President of the Consortium, Sebastiano Fortunato, also spoke at the event: "Field trips are a very valid tool to illustrate the main characteristics of a product to the public. This is especially true for young people and students. They are our future. It is in their hands that we place the long experience that has produced the red gold of Sicily, the Pachino PGI tomato. For over 20 years, our Consortium has been promoting the value of this crop, which provides work for thousands of Sicilian families. Every day, they work with passion and dedication to bring this unique product to national and international tables. Today, more and more consumers pay attention to what they eat, and young people are among those who are most interested not only in the taste and nutritional value of a product, but also in how it is produced, preferring aspects such as business ethics, sustainability and environmental impact. These are also the guiding principles of our efforts to protect this crop, making the Pachino PGI tomato increasingly known and appreciated throughout the world."
For more information:
Sebastiano Fortunato
Consorzio di Tutela Pomodoro di Pachino Igp
Via Milano, 2
96018 Pachino (SR)
Tel.: +39 0931 595106
Email: [email protected]
www.igppachino.it