“Over the time we have been here, on-field activities have been crucial to optimize our varietal research. We mainly focused on the most common cultivation conditions and methodologies in this area. On the one hand, we constantly talked with local growers and technicians, which allowed us to fully grasp their needs; on the other hand, we received valuable feedback on our experimental varieties,” adds Tumino.

The manager continues: “Through this process, we could further consolidate some well-known varieties in the market, namely the Carreras F1, as well as offer new varieties suitable for Central-Southern Italy. The constant presence in the territory and the synergy with growers are the cornerstone of our commercial strategy.”

“The evolution of our smooth round cluster variety Carreras is an emblematic example of that,” explains Tumino. “Carreras has already occupied a leading position in its segment on the Sicilian market for a few years; naturally, even in the Fondi area, the variety has always been known and appreciated for the size of the fruits and their uniformity, an intense and bright color, productivity, consistency, and extraordinary post-harvest durability.”

“From an agronomic point of view, like all varieties, it requires correct management and appropriate fertilization practices during cultivation. The presence of our technicians locally, during 2023, has allowed us to provide the necessary agronomic guidelines, which are useful to address critical issues. The high demand for seeds allows me to claim that Carreras F1 is, to date, a particularly appreciated smooth round variety also in this area.”

“Among our medium-long term objectives is to further strengthen R&D activities on-site and to increase our technical-commercial resources. For 2024, instead, we have planned several promotional activities and Open Days aimed at presenting our varieties most suitable for this area: certainly Carreras F1, but also two new entries in the midi and mini-plum segments, Croconì F1 (TT-628) and Arucimeli F1 (TT-1053), which are added to the green oblong Socrate F1 and various colored specialties, continuing to welcome valuable feedback from producers and to dialogue with them,” Tumino concludes.