Tight control of supply keeps citrus selling well in Italy
Off season and tropical fruit imports keep on growing in Italy. To keep shelves stocked with an assortment of items year-round, huge quantities of fruit produced overseas are imported into the country.
“The first half of 2015 was positive for exotic fruit imports, especially bananas and pineapples, and traditional fruit, thanks to the incoming quantities checked, although production is generally not high, whether due to cautious operators or the unfavourable euro/dollar exchange rate on imports,” said Luca Battaglio, CEO of Battaglio Spa, one of the major Italian importers.
“The second half of the year began with a collapse in the consumption of off-season fruit due to an oversupply of summer fruits and record home temperatures, which definitely influenced the consumption of bananas, kiwi and pears,” he said.
Citrus, on the other hand, has kept selling well, thanks to a highly controlled supply, providing good quality and on-time delivery.
Battaglio Spa is a company specialising in fruit imports and distribution. Founded in 1972, it has continued to grow thanks to the efforts of a motivated and competent team.
Battaglio imports, packs and distributes bananas, pineapples, apples, pears, citrus in Italy, as well as every other kind of fruit from various countries, depending on the different seasons.
The fruit comes from specialist manufacturers with whom the company enjoys long-standing relationships and mutual trust. Its headquarters is located just outside Turin, in a 12,000 m2 warehouse, and in 2014 it opened a new warehouse in Rome, to supply customers from central and southern Italy more promptly and efficiently.
Today, the company manufactures and markets roughly 140,000 tons per year, serving both retail and traditional markets.
This article appeared on page 60 of issue 142 (March/April 2016) of Eurofresh Distribution magazine. Read that edition online here.
