“This is a good citrus fruit campaign with good grades and constant consumption. What is more, temperatures have dropped and, as is known, consumers prefer to have oranges when it's colder. Temperature changes favor pigmentation, which is what makes our Tarocco di Francofonte oranges stand out," reports Giuseppe Guagliardi, sales manager at Le arance del nonno Pippo.
"On a commercial level, we are having a few difficulties selling the larger fruits due to the crisis of wholesale markets, meaning transactions are down to minimum levels. Medium-small produce is lacking in the big retail chain because it is very much in demand on the Italian and foreign markets."
"Le arance del nonno Pippo" is the brand of produce coming from a small citrus fruit grove located in the Margi contrada, in the heart of the area that grows prestigious red-fleshed citrus fruits between Francofonte and Lentini in the Syracuse province. Tarocco Comune di Francofonte oranges are harvested between January and April and are characterized by a juicy flesh and unique flavor. They are renowned for their smooth and thin peel.
“We specialize in the online sale of citrus fruit. We grew tired of traditional commerce, as it was not profitable, so we decided to give more value to these fruits, which we have been growing for generations. The objective is to shorten the chain and offer a natural product at a fair price, as we are aware of the importance of healthy eating: we grow oranges using natural methods, without treatments or chemicals. We only use organic fertilizers, also because we are the first to eat our oranges. In addition, we only harvest the fruits when they are ordered directly from the plant, and we place them in crates to be delivered within 48/72 hours. We pay particular attention to the sustainability of the packaging, as we use wooden crates (recycled and recyclable) that also protect the fruit."
Consumers who purchase online are looking for products from a farm, i.e. that are genuine, fresh and of certain origin. But they also care about the value of the product: online purchases are in fact sustainable (we use wooden crates, plastic is banned) and more affordable compared with the prices in retail stores. Our clients are consumers who put the health and flavor of food first. They are evolved when it comes to purchases, meaning they want to get in touch with producers and get to know their work methods and the seasonality of productions."
“In Sicily, citrus fruit production is going through a period of transition: on the one hand, there are important productions commercialized under national brands that increasingly extend cultivated areas. On the other hand, there are small producers who aim at online direct sales to make a profit. The processed product market is growing, as these products are increasingly appreciated by consumers when it comes to health and flavor. In the future, we'd like to focus on rural tourism to involve our clients with guided tours of the company and on using our products as ingredients for candied and dried fruit products."
For further information:
Le arance del nonno Pippo
Giuseppe Guagliardi
Via Margi snc
96015 Francofonte(SR)
+39 3311370187
info@learancedelnonnopippo.eu
www.learancedelnonnopippo.eu