"The marketing of typically seasonal products seems to be on a good trend, also favored by good weather conditions, with warmth and sunshine throughout Italy. Stone fruits remain among the references preferred by consumers, despite commercial problems, especially related to the size of the fruit. There is now a marked improvement in the fields and on the markets, partly because we started with the medium-late cultivars," said Tonino Ferrara of the fruit and vegetable wholesaler Fe.Vi Frutta.
"We have finally archived the first part of the stone fruit season, which started around the second decade of May. In these two months, the market has recorded a not at all good result on early varieties because of the quality and size, due to the unfavorable spring weather conditions for regrowth (March-May), with frequent cold returns and temperatures still below the seasonal average."
"At the moment we are focusing on local percoca peaches and nectarines, which are produced with two different end uses, but both share excellent gauges (AA and AAA) and fruit quality. In the case of the percoca peach, the target markets are the central and southern regions and tourist resorts, with 15 pallets per day leaving our plant. We start harvesting this crop in late June and continue until mid-October, thanks to the different varieties and land areas of our contributing members. It is a product that is not popular in northern Italy, where instead peaches or nectarines tend to be preferred. Despite the commercial strategies put in place over the years to bring percoca peaches to the north, the attempts have been unsuccessful, except for sending very few pallets to large northern cities with a good population of residents originally from southern regions."
"With regard to nectarines, we usually continue with sales for most of September. On the price and demand front, this crop is definitely doing better than the percoca peach. Quotations for the unprocessed product at the moment are €1.20/kg, which are prices very similar to those of the past campaign."
For more information: 
FE.VI .Frutta
Via Bellini,10
75025 Policoro (MT)
(+39) 0835/902998
info@fevifrutta.it
fevi.trading@aziendemail.it
www.fevifrutta.it