Apple producers in Italy are reportedly watching each other carefully to see who will begin picking first.
In the north-east of the country, the early-harvesting variety Gala is already looking good, with sizing and colour at the right levels, but the age-old question of ripeness remains.
This could be a concern for the major marketers, as any good-looking but unripe fruit placed on the market too soon could put consumers off and damage the industry's prospects for the coming campaign.
In essence, looks can be deceiving. For a week already, the Gala apples on the trees have had a good size and uniform red colour: their appearance suggests time to harvest, but the fruits still need another ten days or so to reach the best moment for picking.
The market, however, may whet the appetite of producers: it is empty, hungry for produce and in all likelihood is ready to pay well for those first new-season apples.
These conditions, after what has been a lean year for Italian apples, could therefore lead to an early harvest, with the real risk of placing what people sometimes refer to as ‘coloured pumpkins’ on the market and disappointing the consumer. In other words, far from love at first taste.
Consumers, as a result, would be more wary as the campaign continued and so the illusion of earning high prices early on could vanish in a moment.
Good luck to those who are waiting for a ‘golden’ apple season.
