"This year, the Sicilian strawberry season started in November 2024 and will end around May 2025. The production is proceeding well and no particular difficulties or plant diseases have been reported", says Alessandro Arini, Sales Manager of the company 'I frutti del Sole,' located in Marsala (province of Trapani, Sicily), a highly specialized area for the cultivation of this reference.
From the left: Giuseppe Nicolosi (Agronomist) and Alessandro Arini (Sales Manager)
"Our company stands out for its organic production, from which it derives added value on the national and international markets, including Austria, Switzerland, and Germany," says Arini, explaining, among other things, the logistical requirements that the strawberry reference must follow, in order to reach the various destinations in the best possible way.
"The transport of our strawberries follows the A x C ratio," he continues, "with a two-day timeframe from departure to arrival. And it couldn't be any other way, because this is a perishable product that requires a certain amount of time. The freshly harvested product can follow three routes, always on wheels. The first one arrives at the port of Palermo by ground, from where it arrives by sea at Naples and continues to Verona. Here it can either halt to be distributed in the markets of north-eastern Italy, or continue to Vienna, in Austria, or go straight to Munich, in Germany. The second arrives first by ground directly in Verona to be sorted elsewhere. The third, either first by sea to Genoa or directly by ground, reaches Milan (where the crops pass through customs) to arrive in Zurich, Switzerland."
"In any case," emphasizes Arini, "the timing must be precise and must not allow delays that would affect the quality of the product to be placed on the shelf. We are able to guarantee our partners a 7-month continuity thanks to the gradual transplantation from early to late varieties. This is also the reason why the marketing takes place according to precise schedules, agreed upon every year in February, coinciding with the maximum availability of the product. In general, we are able to respond to requests regarding the degree of ripeness or the color of the fruit in an almost tailor-made way, in order to satisfy the most specific requirements. This is obviously the result of more than 15 years of experience in managing production processes and logistics."
"This season began, as I mentioned, in November," explains Arini, "and it initially showed some anomalies; in the early weeks, there was good demand despite the limited availability. We believe that the best time of the season is between February and April, but each campaign has its own trend. In November, the general markets recorded prices between 8 and 11 euros per kilo for the premium conventional product, after which the price dropped a little. However, we do not take this into account because we distribute our organic product directly, which follows a different, certainly more specialized commercial dynamic."
I Frutti del Sole was founded in 1992 and since then it has expanded to include almost 70 hectares of land where the most prized citrus fruits are grown, such as Navel oranges, white Zagara lemons, mandarins (late Ciaculli), Diamante lemons, Star Ruby grapefruits, and Hass avocados. In addition to strawberries, the fruit list is quite interesting, with varieties such as quinces, jujubes, plums, blackberries, guavas, and other tropical species. Last but not least, there are field vegetables such as chard, kale, turnip greens, and others that change according to the season. Everything is always, and strictly organic.
For more information: 
I Frutti del Sole
C.da Ciavolo 225/B
91025 Marsala (TP) - Italy
+39 333 3126887
m.licari@ifruttidelsole.it
www.ifruttidelsole.it