Italian soft fruit marketer Sant’Orsola is paving the way for an expansion in its sales by investing around €27m in a new packing facility near Trento, in the region of Trentino-South Tyrol.
The centre, which will be located close to the town of Pergine Valsugana, will be used for receiving, storing, handling and shipping a range of berries and other soft fruits produced by the consortium’s member growers.
According to the company, the facility will cover a total of two hectares and will include a processing room covering 4,000m2 (compared with the existing 1,200m2).
Around 3ha of the 12ha site will be used for a dedicated plant nursery where new varieties will be grown and evaluated.
Construction work is due to start in the spring, with a completion date pencilled in for the following autumn.
