"At the Milan wholesale market, top-quality products are mostly sold, while mid-range and lower-quality items head to supermarkets. For restaurants and patisseries, the required standard is even higher." These are the words of Umberto Maffioletti from Arrigoni Chiara, a historic operator in the Milan fruit and vegetable market and an expert on berries, as he describes the commercial dynamics of pricing and product origins to myfruit.it.
He begins with a general observation: "Product availability isn’t lacking, and demand is often dictated by the climate."
Wide price range for raspberries
Umberto outlines the raspberry market: "Prices range from 10/12 euros up to a maximum of 18/20 depending on quality and variety. We have various sources—Italy, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and the Netherlands. For the domestic product, both the South and North of Italy produce varieties priced from 10 to 15 euros per kilogram. Moroccan raspberries are around 12/13 euros, Portuguese ones go from 14/15 to 16 euros, Spain is similar, and the Dutch product, where production is limited, costs about 15/16 euros."
Blueberries from the Southern Hemisphere
"As we shift to the other side of the world," explains the Lombard entrepreneur, "we have Peruvian products, and to a lesser extent Argentinian, which I don’t handle due to its lower quality and cost-cutting tendency, along with goods from Zimbabwe and South Africa. Prices vary from 15/16 euros up to 18 per kilogram, depending on quality and variety."
Blackberries from Mexico and Italy
The blackberry market leans towards the Southern Hemisphere, with Mexican products "priced between 18 and 20 euros. Lower quality sees a price drop. There are Italian blackberries as well, costing between 16 and 18 euros per kilo, and 12 to 15 for lower quality. Northern production is wrapping up, while in the South, programmed crops come from Sicily and Calabria."
Italian red currants until January
Currently, "there is mainly Italian preserved red currant. Prices start from 16 euros for Italian ones, while Dutch products are slightly more expensive at around 18 euros. Chilean red currants won’t arrive until February or March, and the national supply will continue through January."
Italian, Dutch, and Belgian strawberries
On the topic of strawberries, there is "domestic mountain produce, although it has little appeal due to its light color, with demand being low. Prices are around 7/10 euros for two kilograms. Verona’s strawberries are at 7.50/8 euros per kilo, while Dutch and Belgian products—growing high-end varieties scarcely available in Italy and mostly in other seasons—are slightly more expensive. In a few weeks, production will start in Marsala, Sicily, and planned crops in Basilicata and Salerno."
Wild strawberries
And wild strawberries? "At this time, the pricing is highly volatile, making it difficult to pinpoint."
