At this time of year, the strawberry harvest in southern Italy should be at its peak. Unfortunately, the quantities of strawberries on the market in the last couple of weeks tell a different story. Indeed, growers have complained of low yields and find it difficult to fill orders.
"Demand is still very strong, while very limited product continues to arrive from Spain. The strawberries are hardly ripening, due to the temperature fluctuations that have characterized the nights so far. However, there are positive signs in terms of production, as there has been a gradual increase in minimum temperatures," says Giovanni Passarelli, owner of the company of the same name in Scanzano Jonico (Matera).
Giovanni Passarelli
Italian and foreign operators are aware of the situation in the fields. "We are trying to accommodate most of our customers by deferring output volumes," continues the strawberry grower from Basilicata. "We are giving them about 70 platforms each, which are in any case higher volumes than 10 days ago. We supply some fruit and vegetable markets, such as Florence, Milan, Turin, Bologna, Verona, and Genoa, as well as a large retail chain, and we are waiting to start with other markets as soon as we have larger quantities. We don't harvest every day, but looking back, we've been in much worse situations than this."
Situation in the field on 13 March 2025
"We are not afraid that there will be a surplus of product as a result of the rise in temperatures over the last few days. Supply is very limited and demand is high. Even if the volume suddenly doubled, we would not be able to fill all the orders given the current market trend. We expect a 15% increase in volume over the next few days. The fields are in very good condition, with green crops and lots of flowers."
For more information:
Passarelli Agricultural Society
Via Andriace, 19
75020 Scanzano Jonico
+39 320 9134551
info@agricolapassarelli.it
agricolapassarelli.it