The greenhouse sector has endured shocking increases over the past few years: the main one concerns the cost of steel, which has skyrocketed. However, the prices of raw materials seem to have decreased over the past few months, so there might be a reason to be optimistic for 2023.
(Photo by: CO.SER)
"The crazy increase in the price of steel, which started at the end of 2020, accelerated in 2021, reaching unthinkable amounts, with increases that exceeded 130% for some products. Luckily this stopped in the summer, and, actually, the price of raw materials has somewhat decreased over the past few months, which has enabled us to lower the price of our greenhouses too."
The CO.SER team
"The situation was difficult to manage, especially in 2021, as quotations were valid for a maximum of one week, as we had to avoid selling below cost. Luckily, our company is sturdy, and we have managed to stay put even though demand for greenhouses has remained low throughout 2022 as well. At least the price of steel has stabilized, making the situation less chaotic."
"In addition to the cost of a greenhouse, which reflects that of steel and plastic, the trend of the fresh produce sector is also essential for our clients when choosing to make an investment. This last year has been very complex due to the general increases for both entrepreneurs who work in greenhouses and those who work in open fields. Last but not least, there are uncertainties linked to the war in Ukraine and climate change. The latter makes greenhouses almost compulsory for growers who do not want to lose their crops but, actually, it is endangering our structures as well because of the increasingly violent tornadoes."
(Photo by: CO.SER)
"I have been working in this sector for ten years, but, as this is a family business, I have actually indirectly witnessed the last 30 years. I do not recall anything similar," adds Alessandra Di Maio, who mainly deals with business administration, modernization, and improvement. "We are all waiting for the situation to improve. The agricultural sector is of primary importance, and it will definitely emerge from this difficult period, maybe even correcting some abuses deriving from dominant positions in the distribution market. It is of particular importance to achieve fair prices that at least cover production costs, thus reducing the extreme pressure on producers and, therefore, on workers."
(Photo by: CO.SER)
According to Cipro and Maio, single greenhouses are the most popular, requested by small entrepreneurs or simply by those who want to self-produce. "Most large producers are still waiting for the cost of raw materials to go down. We are also hoping for the price of steel to drop further, but it is unthinkable that quotations will go back to what they used to be in early 2020. We are hoping that our clients, having come to terms with the increases and after adjusting their own sales prices, will go back to investing in greenhouses in 2023."
(Photo by: CO.SER)
For further information:
CO.SER. srl
Via Valle Annunziata, 77
81050 Francolise (CE) - Italy
Tel.: +39 (0)823 884180
Email: coser@libero.it
Web: www.coseritalia.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/costruzioni.serre