Conditions in the north of Italy are said to be improving gradually following heavy snowfall and rain over the past few days, but the market for fresh fruit and vegetables is taking a while to recover, Fruitnet.com understands.
As reported yesterday, large swathes of the country have been hit by the heaviest wintry weather in more than 30 years, with snow and ice causing major disruption to roads and rainy, blustery conditions damaging production in the south.
In southern Spain and France, meanwhile, snowy conditions have also had a major impact on the transport network, causing logistical problems for those transporting fresh produce across France's southern seaboard between Spain and Italy.
Luca Antonietti of Genoa-based fresh produce trade confirmed that fresh produce suppliers in the north of Italy were experiencing a particularly slow market as a result of the conditions.
'The Italian market is generally very slow at the moment as a result of the cold,' he told Fruitnet.com. 'All products are selling slowly and for less. For example, last year bananas were selling at €13/14 (a box) but today they are selling slowly at around €10/11.'
Further south, the sharp fall in temperatures has apparently put open-field production of vegetables at risk across Italy, with winter cabbage, Savoy cabbage, chicory, artichokes, radishes and broccoli all suffering, according to Italian consumer group Coldiretti.
The agency also suggested that fruit trees which are due to blossom in March, particularly those bearing stonefruit, would be at risk of damage.
However, it is understood that apples, pears and kiwifruit – products which have already been harvested – as well as oranges produced mainly in the south, have escaped the effects of the cold.
Another possible benefit of the snow and rainfall – up 39 per cent year-on-year, according to the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate – could also be a vast reduction in the risk of drought this summer, Coldiretti added.
Conditions at the Port of Trieste, meanwhile, a major entry point for imported fruit at the top of the Adriatic Sea in north-east Italy, reportedly worsened yesterday, with winds topping 184kmh.
Ships have been unable to enter or leave the port since Tuesday (9 March) afternoon as a result of the strong wind, known in the region as the Bora.
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