Fresh Del Monte, one of the world's leading vertically integrated producers and distributors of fresh fruits and vegetables, active for 130 years, has chosen to officially enter the production and marketing of berries under its own brand in Italy. And it does so starting from Sicily. It will indeed be the 3rd Strawberry and Berry Symposium, scheduled in Marsala for July 11th: the best time to officially meet the network of local producers and entrepreneurs already involved in production and those who will want to join as suppliers of the new industrial project.
During the Marsala meeting, organized by the professional agriculture monthly Agrisicilia, published by the ISVAM research center in Palermo, Del Monte Italia will present its investment project in the Marsala area to produce and market berries made in Sicily. The Marsala Symposium, as for the previous edition, will be held at the production company "A… Berries” owned by Vito Gambina, who has been producing and selling raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and wild strawberries produced on the Strasatti farm for years, selling them in regional and national markets.
The Sicilian event will also have an institutional stand at the national MacFrut fair in Rimini for its official national launch and, subsequently, for a day of conference activities and visits to the production greenhouses of Vito Gambina's company, in Marsala.
The choice of Del Monte Italia to invest in the Marsala area - anticipates Massimo Mirabella, editor-in-chief of Agrisicilia - allows us to imagine interesting scenarios both in terms of production and marketing of a product that is now considered healthy and whose consumption is rapidly growing. For the agricultural reality of the area, it is certainly news of great importance because it could set in motion a high-quality production chain."
The area interested in the production of berries under the Del Monte Italia brand is currently famous for the strawberry produced and sold as a national delicacy but where many producers are moving, or integrating what they already do, towards the production of berries that cover the entire year commercially and offer more interesting market remunerations.
"In recent years, Del Monte Italia - explains Gianluigi Bertelli, Senior Sales Manager of the company - has observed with admiration the growing and prosperous berry industry in this region, a testament to its fertile land and the entrepreneurial capacity of its inhabitants. It is with great enthusiasm that we approach this reality, eager to collaborate with Sicilian berry producers to bring their products to the global market.
Gianluigi Bertelli (Del Monte Italia)
We are committed to ensuring that every product we bring to the market is grown with care and respect for the environment, reflecting the values of sustainability and responsibility that are at the core of our company philosophy. With Del Monte, it's not just about selling products, but about building lasting partnerships based on trust and mutual growth.”
"As organizers of the event - concludes Mirabella - we are proud that a multinational company of this caliber has decided to invest in Sicily and has chosen to officially present itself to regional producers at one of our events. A significant leap in quality for our event which, although held in Sicily, once again proves to be broad-minded and national in scope! At MacFrut, we will have the opportunity to present the event with a conference scheduled for May 9th (2:00 PM) and thanks to an institutional stand to provide information to those who wish to participate or sponsor the event to be part of this great team!”
Cover image by Nicky from Pixabay
