Oranges top shopping lists
During the COVID 19 emergency, the performance of Oranfrizer’s oranges achieved unprecedented results, with truly extraordinary peaks in March and April.
“We have given priority to the national market and we have guaranteed deliveries to Northern European countries with the same stability as ever. In Italy we have recorded a strong focus on citrus fruits, the demand for oranges has been at the top of consumer choices,” said director Nello Alba. “The entire sector has benefited from this. We have seen a 40% increase in red orange sales. What has happened? The consumer is more aware of three valuable elements of the blood orange: it is a precious natural source of Vitamin C, a real treasure chest of many nutrients, its taste is very pleasant and it is Italian. Its origin has been rewarded. If these factors continue to guide consumer choices, we will continue to see growth.”
The 2020 citrus season for Oranfrizer cannot be said to be completely over, as Italian lemons continue to be harvested. This summer’s main protagonist will be Sicili, the lemon with a volcanic soul that ripens in the green plains dominated by Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe. Sicilì will debut on the markets in the coming weeks with packaging created to make the Italian Oranfrizer lemons more recognisable, collected exclusively from the most suitable areas of eastern Sicily most of the year. The package communicates information about the different fruitings that ripen one after the other on the same tree. The attention to the reflowering nature of the lemon tree described on the Sicilì package will make it easier to recognise the origin, seasonality, characteristics of the Verdello, Primofiore and Bianchetto lemons that will follow one another and can be purchased by Italian consumers.
The summer production of Oranfrizer goes beyond citrus fruits, because Sicily is teeming with other fruits, such as flat peaches and apricots, mini watermelons and netted melons, new potatoes from Syracuse, already in distribution. The grapes of Mazzarrone, Cantaloupe melon and Coscia dell’Etna pears will also be available soon. This hot summer will close with the peaches of Leonforte PGI, nectarines, prickly pears and mango. The varied offer of Sicilian cherry tomatoes are constantly marketed, the most sought after being the Ciliegino, Datterino and Piccadilly varieties.
Oranfrizer’s seasonal offer of fresh fruit and vegetables contains only the regional selections that represent the best of the largest island in the Mediterranean.
“The forecasts for the summer fruit and vegetable season are good, we do not have a shortage of manpower, consumers are looking for the Italian spirit and our products that reach retailers stand out for their origin,” said Alba. “With the marketing of summer fruits we are committed to making the most of our precious Sicilian crops that during the warmer months explode with truly exceptional colours, flavours and aromas. The fruits already chosen on the field are picked only at the right time. Each harvest is subject to a further careful selection by our workers. Those who reach the tables are the best seasonal fruits, the most characteristic of our territory.”
