The recent opening of the US market to imported pears from Italy represents one of the Mediterranean country's best opportunities to expand its reach when it comes to selling fruit in the global marketplace.
That's the view of Marco Salvi, president of fresh produce trade association Fruitimprese and owner of leading exporter Salvi Unacoa, who all the same feels the prospect of building a following for Italian pears in the US is one that ought to be approached with calm, patience and dilligence.
For Salvi, everything from marketing communications to logistics and distirbution networks are still to be established.
'The United States are pear producers too, so it's clear that the Italian fruit, if I want to capture a share of the market, has to be supported by targeted, well thought-out campaigns,' he tells Americafruit.
'For example, Abate Fetel pears won't sell by themselves, so we need to invest in this area,' he adds, putting forward the possibility of finding room for partnerships with other producing countries.
'We have to arrive in the US market not only as Italy but co-ordinated with other companies in the Southern Hemisphere, in order to be present for 12 months of the year.'
