Italy: Apo Conerpo ends the harvest prematurely

 Due to tropical weather conditions and logistical difficulties linked to Covid, it is expected that industrial results will be below target for the 2020 processing tomato season of Apo Conerpo, the organization of fruit and vegetable growers based in Villanova di Castenaso (province of Bologna), which includes more than 6 000 member growers and 51 cooperative structures.
The damage is limited, thanks to the Group's organizational and management capabilities, but concerns are growing regarding profitability for producers who are increasingly confronted with the effects of climate change. “All the conditions for an excellent crop were met, especially after the difficult seasons of 2018 and 2019,” explains the president of Apo Conerpo, Davide Vernocchi, “with strong market demand, ideal agronomic circumstances for the spring plantings, perfect flower set and finally, a product that is also in prime condition from a phytosanitary point of view. From the start of the campaign, scheduled for 20 July according to weather data, the processing companies were ready to receive our tomatoes.”

This setting was ideal to help the industry forget the difficulties of the 2019 season, when a product shortfall of more than 20% was recorded. But an unexpected climatic event quickly changed the situation. “In the early days of August,” continues Vernocchi, “we suffered four consecutive days of rain, followed by temperatures more similar to those of the tropics than to the typical climate of our territories. This combination of factors caused the tomatoes to ripen very quickly in the fields and disrupted all delivery schedules.”

“But thanks to the considerable efforts made by our partners and to the important collaborative relationship that Apo Conerpo has developed with a dozen local industries, we have had to “exclude” production in only a few very rare cases. However, the excess quantities in August were echoed by an unexpected shortage in September, with deliveries – which are usually spread over 60 days in a normal season – ending up contracted to within just over 40 days. Instead of finishing, as usual, towards the end of September, we can already announce the end of the season (week 38) more than two weeks in advance, despite a program that was planned in great detail.” (See the comments of the Italian delegation in our bimonthly season’s report of 18 September).

To further complicate an already difficult situation, the long sequence of the effects of Covid has added to it: “In the midst of this emergency, at the very moment when shipments should have been considerably increased, many companies found themselves confronted with a new difficulty: a serious shortage of truck drivers, who come mostly from Eastern Europe and who had to remain in their country of origin because of travel restrictions and the risk of coronavirus contagion.” 

These scenarios, which several important industries on a global scale have had to face this year, have been particularly worrying in terms of profitability for producers: “The cultivation of tomatoes,” explains Vernocchi, “requires an investment of several thousand euros by hectare. Each [tonne] of product that remains in the field represents substantial damage to the entire sector, mainly for growers, but also for industrial processors.” 

In summary, there has been too much product and not enough available labor to transport it, causing a tense situation that has been compounded by the difficulties encountered by companies trying to process a much larger quantity of raw material than expected. This has forced several POs to resort to the “no harvest” scheme, exceptionally authorized by the Ministry.

Source: freshplaza.it