FROUTONEA_UK_FEBRUARY21

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G. Orfanou & Co
Editor-Manager
Panagiotis Orfanos
Editor staff
Anna Makrigiorgou
Fotis Karampetsos
DTP
Yiorgos Vergouliades
Cover design
Aris Betchavas
Subscriptions
Christina Andreakou


ADVERTISED COMPANIES




COMPANY PAGE


MENELAOS 2ND COVER
TEX 1
MSC 3 In this issue
DOLE 7
CRETA TASTE 11
KIKU 13 Oranges: Bad development for the season
ARRIGONI 15
HELLAGRO BACK COVER Apples: Exports reduction, low demand
in the domestic market


Arrigoni: Protection shield against hail and rain



4 PRODUCTS









ÒOranges lems in the smooth flow of the collection,
but also of the packaging.

Exports
In the midst of all these problems, ex-
THIS SEASON IS NOT GOING WELL ports continue at lower rates than last year
and this is reflected in the export bulletin
of the Greek Ministry of Agriculture, from
which we observe that until 15/01/21 ex-
One blow after the other receive this year oranges’ sector, with ports in relation to the corresponding peri-
results that satisfy neither the producers nor the traffickers. od are lagging behind (-4.76%).
In fact, all countries are lagging behind
in absorption, with the exception of Ro-
mania, which seems to be moving at last
year’s levels, Germany, which has so far ab-
sorbed twice as much as in the same peri-
od last year, and the Czech Republic, which
is rising. The good results in C.R. are due to
the fact that its consumers prefer the small
sizes of fruits which this year were plentiful
and at low prices.
Unlike oranges, mandarins recorded an
increase in exports of 5.71%. It is now clear
that consumers prefer mandarins to orang-
es, as long as they are available and satisfy
them in taste, easy peeling and when they
are seedless.

The next period
We are entering a difficult period, and we
do not know when it will end. On the one
hand we have the Merlin variety, the larg-
est volume of which is unsold, as it is es-
Navalina and Merlin varieties are current- timated that so far about 15% of the ex-
ly in the spotlight. The unallsold quantities pected production has been collected and
from the Navalina variety are minimal, with on the other hand we do not know if we will
the producer prices for good estates being have frost in Argolida.
at the level of about 20 cents while for es- If the oranges in this area freeze, then
tates that do not have good fruits the pric- The unallsold quantities the market will be severely disrupted as
es are much lower and even reach 15 cents. from the Navalina variety producers will want to sell as much as pos-
The Merlin variety is the one that is of in- sible, and so supply prices will fall to very
terest to traffickers at the moment, but this are minimal, with the low levels.
variety also presents many quality prob- producer prices for good Now, close to all this, we must add the
lems. In particular, there is a strong prob- fact that at the end of January the harvest
lem with the increased percentages of estates being at the level will begin in the Lane Late variety in Eto-
small sizes, while due to the high tempera- of about 20 cents while loakarnania and as a result the situation in
tures that existed until now the fruits have the market will become even more compli-
softened and thus do not have endurance for estates that do not have cated. Then, there will be on the market the
and present many problems during their good fruits the prices cheap oranges of the Merlin variety, and the
transport. All this resulted in producer pric- more expensive ones of the Lane Late va-
es in the Argolis area being formed around are much lower and even riety, but the prices of the last ones cannot
the axis of about 15 cents. Close to these reach 15 cents be much different from those of the Merlin
we should also add that Argolida is in total variety.
lockdown, and this has caused many prob- T.O.


FEBRUARY 2021

“OUR SALES IN THE SUPER MARKETS


ARE PROGRESSING WITH STABILITY”



The absorption of oranges by supermarkets remains unaffected by
the pandemic, but the same does not happen with the prices at which
the goods are bought, as the production volume that cannot be trad-
ed through the wholesale routes trade creates pressure. The details
of the season in Argolida are described to Froutonea by Mr. George
Fragkistas, Owner of the trading company GEFRA.
GEORGE FRANGISTAS

OWNER OF GEFRA S.A.



Mr Frangistas, how is the orange mar-
ket in the Argolida region evolving?
Before the lock down there was a gen-
eral feeling that a good season would fol-
low, both in terms of demand and prices.
However, after the lock down we realized
that this is not the case. Only the super-
markets remained open and this, even for
our Company that works only with them,
meant some price pressure due to the ex-
cess unsold production. In general, how-
ever, I would say that x-factory prices, al-
though not at the initially expected level,
are moving to moderate, normal levels.

What varieties of oranges are current- So what are the Producer prices in
ly in the spotlight and which sizes are your area?
predominant? For good quality oranges, prices range
We are at the end of navelina season between 0.15 and 0.20 euros per kilo. For
and we have started with the harvest of the poor quality, they are paid prices that The Merlin variety is now
the merlin oranges. The sizes are not good the Juice Industry would pay, i.e. 0.08-0.14 at the spotlight of the orange
- and the large fruits are few. There are al- euros per kilo.
so several quality problems, as heat and sector in Argolida, but even
humidity that prevailed. Can you comment on what is going to here the small caliber fruits
come?
From these fact we come to the con- We can only think that the recent bad are mayority and the quality
clusion that there are must be enough weather in Spain, combined with the pan- problems are not few
difficulties in the packaging plants demic, will stimulate demand. On the oth-
works. er hand, the reduced circulation through
That’s for sure. Sorting is not easy and the wholesale trade means that significant
there are cases where the recipients of the quantities will remain unavailable and, in
shipments reject the goods, as they re- general, the Sector cannot talk about a
ceive them really damaged. good year.



FEBRUARY 2021

6 PRODUCTS









“DISAPPOINTING SEASON


FOR THE MANDARINS OF ARGOLIDA”



The quality problems in clementines and nova created a bad
commercial scene for the mandarins of Argolida, while the
extensive presence of small calibers in the Page variety seems to
keep the situation unchanged.


The Page mandarins were giving to the
producer 0.45-0.55 euros per kilo, but
SAKIS SOFRONIADIS these are very small mandarins, while the
producers in some estates with good pro-
OWNER OF SOFRONIADIS duction do not make sales yet. However,
COMPANY the volume of their production is greater
than last year.

From what you tell us, we assume
that the Page mandarins will not get
Mr. Sofroniadis, how was the season sold easily either.
for clementines in Argolida this year? We do not know what will the mar-
The quality problems started from the ket developments be, but it is a fact that
beginning of December, due to the rains the production gave generally small cal-
that lasted for about two weeks and ibers. In general, the expectations of the
dropped the prices to around 0.30-0.35 producers at the beginning of the sea-
euros per kilo gross, i.e. approximately at son are completely shattered - and it is a
last year’s price level. Also, the production fact that the producers took great care of
losses were at least 15% in the field and, their estates to achieve good production.
nevertheless, there were another 15% It’s not just mandarins, it’s oranges, af-
losses in the packaging plant. In some or- ter all. The navelinas now are being sold
chards the loss of production, due to qual- only for juice and the merlin oranges are
ity problems, reached up to 50%. bought at 0.16-0.18 euros per kilo.
How did this data determine the oper- Which foreign markets have ab-
ation of the packaging plants? sorbed most of the products so far?
They began more and more to halt their The way the season goes Mostly the markets of Eastern Europe,
shipments of Clementine mandarins and due to the fact that they accepted the
when the nova mandarins became avail- for mandarins, but also smaller sizes. In general, because mer-
able they started working directly with for oranges in Argolida, lin oranges are also small fruits, it seems
them, paying prices at 0.40-0.42 euros per that the solution is to drop the prices
kilo gross. Of course, the nova had no few completely shatters the with net bidding packages.
quality problems. As a result, the packers expectations that the
carried out the shipments with great cau- In closing, would you like to com-
tion and, in fact, there were many rejec- producers had at the ment on something else?
tions of cargo, or part of cargo, by the re- beginning of the season - and A factor that certainly affected the size
cipients. of the fruits, is the great age of the es-
it is a fact that the producers tates. This is something that, admittedly,
Now, the season has entered the stage took great care of their lands must change in Argolida, because other-
of the Page variety. How is the situa- wise the game is lost.
tion here? to achieve good production


FEBRUARY 2021



8 INTERVIEW








ÒKiwis




DEMAND HAS IMPROVED…




The initial fears of the traders, that this year the kiwis will face problems in their absorption, due
to the high prices purchased, but also due to the quarantine that have entered many countries, do
not seem to be confirmed, as the commercial course of the product shows otherwise.

We are going through the second ten cant stocks are in the hands of large Traf-
days of January - and after a difficult two fickers. From now on, the only fear of the
months and the trade trend in kiwis seems traffickers has to do with the strength of
to be changing, for the better. This devel- the fruit - and this fear is real, as the ki-
opment is reflected in the statistical bul- wis were harvested this year under special
letin of the Ministry, but most importantly, conditions and for a long time.
by the traffickers themselves, Greeks and This parameter leads us to the conclu-
Italians, as you will see in the following in- sion that most of the stocks will be avail-
terviews. able by March - and from April onwards,
According to the Export Bulletin of the the stocks will be minimal. May all this be
ministry., from the beginning of the trad- verified, so that the whole field of kiwi ex-
ing season until 15/01/21, 95,250 tons had periences a wonderful year.
been exported, compared to 96,007 tons
that had been exported in the correspond-
ing period last year. That is, we see that in Many new estates
a year in which products have been bought this year as well
expensively and most countries have been
quarantined, the reduction is only 0.79%. The interest of the Greek
In other words, we see that absorption is Producers to create new estates
moving at last year’s pace - and therefore, with kiwis was great this year
well done. as well. In fact, according to the
relevant report that we publish
USA in other pages of this issue, the
About now our exports, as we see from new kiwi estates, created this
the relevant bulletin, this year we export not play such an important role in the ab- year, exceed 7,000 acres. In fact,
kiwis to 67 different countries - and this is sorption of the product. as circles that are well aware
a great conquest of Greek Kiwi. of the evolution of this product
From the same table we can also see The next period point out, in the last 3 years we
that in the first 2 places are Italy and Spain, As we said at the beginning, the com- have more than 20,000 acres
while in the third place have climbed the mercial course of the product improved of new farms with kiwis, which
USA, which a few years ago did not have after the Christmas holidays - and as ev- means that the total production
a place in this table. France and the Unit- erything shows, entering February will im- volume will increase by at least
ed Kingdom are still moving in a positive prove even more. Besides, the stocks in 50,000 tons in the coming years.
direction, while all other countries, unfor- Italy during this period are reduced com- Is there infrastructure to store
tunately, are showing a decline. A closer pared to the corresponding period last these products? Can Greek
look at this table shows that absorption year, while the Greek ones also seem to be traffickers manage them? Is there
has declined in countries with low consum- moving at normal levels. In fact, accord- an advertising plan to increase
er power - and this makes sense, as kiwis ing to reputable trade circles, many small consumption?
are being offered at a higher price this year Traffickers, who do not have the neces- There are many questions, but we
than in previous years, while for rich coun- sary infrastructure and financial resources, will deal with all of them in our
tries the price is lower. as it seems, does have completed their sales - and signifi- next issues.



FEBRUARY 2021

“OPTIMISM ABOUT THE SEASON OF KIWIS”



Optimistic about the commercial course of kiwi in international
markets in the coming months, is Mr. George Kallitsis, Export GEORGE KALLITSIS
Manager of PROTOPHANOUSIS SA, who also refers to the main EXPORT DIRECTOR
issues that arise during this year’s sales of the product. OF “PROTOPHANOUSIS SA”


Mr. Kallitsis, are you satisfied with the de- year, we notice that our sales do not dif-
velopment of this year’s kiwi season so far? fer significantly from last year and our total
Yes, I would say that the commercial sea- stocks are around 180,000 tons.
son of kiwi is developing quite well from the
very beginning of the season, with its prices Have you encountered any difficulties
being higher compared to the correspond- in transporting your products to inter-
ing period last year and the exports of the national markets?
product satisfying all the domestic traders. Despite the fact that the result that the weather conditions are
So far we have not had a bad winter, with
Are you optimistic about the course of our production this year was on our side. The change of weather in Jan-
the product in the coming months? increased compared to last uary has not yet created problems for us,
Yes, I believe that this good trade move- however, winter is ahead of us. Also note
ment will continue from February onwards. year, we notice that our sales that we have not encountered any diffi-
However, we are not in a position to make do not differ significantly from culties in our dealings with the UK due
any particular assessment of the course of last year and our total stocks to Brexit, with the exception of increased
prices. It depends on a number of factors. costs in some cases.
The only thing that worries me is the qual- are around 180,000 tons
ity of this year’s production, as it has lower From time to time it has been said by
sugars, compared to other years. I am not professionals that refrigeration facil-
sure if the quality of the fruits will be kept pean level. As far as overseas markets are ities are not sufficient in our country
at a good level if the season is prolonged. concerned, freight shipments to the US are to store kiwis. Is the situation with the
satisfactory, in contrast to Asian markets cold rooms manageable this year?
What are the markets that make the where orders are moving at a slower pace. The adequacy of these facilities is di-
difference this year? rectly related to the size of production in
The majority of our products are ab- What are the levels of domestic kiwi each season. If we have overproduction
sorbed by the European markets, as every stocks a few days before we welcome levels, then there will definitely be a prob-
year. What we are seeing this year com- February? lem. However, regarding this season, so far
pared to other years is a slightly sluggish Despite the fact that our production we have not encountered any problems
demand from the German market at Euro- this year was increased compared to last with the availability of cold stores.



FEBRUARY 2021

10 INTERVIEW










“LOWER THAN LAST YEAR


THE ITALIAN STOCKS OF KIWIS”



Kiwi stocks are reduced by 7% at the beginning of the new year in
Italy, compared to the corresponding period last year, according
to Mr. Mirco Zanelli, Sales Manager of Apofruit in Italy, who talks
about good sales flow and strong competition between the Greek
and Italian kiwi quantities.











MIRCO ZANELLI

APOFRUIT SALES MANAGER



Mr Zanelli, how is the kiwi commercial
season evolving since the beginning of
the new year?
Sales are moving upwards and com-
pared to the data we have at our dispos- Is there anything that worries you
al they are higher than the corresponding about this year’s commercial season?
last year. The prices of the product are al- No, I would not say that I am particular-
so good, with the demand for Italian quan- ly worried about anything so far. The flow
tities being clearly influenced by the pres- that Italian kiwi has acquired in the mar-
ence of Greek kiwis on the shelves of the The only flaw in this year’s kets is good, its quality and its behavior on
European S / M chains. commercial season is the the shelf is satisfactory. I am quite optimis-
smaller average size tic about the course of the product in the
What are the levels of your stocks in coming months. The only flaw in this year’s
January? of this year’s fruit, compared commercial season is the smaller average
Italian stocks stand at 170,000 tons, size of this year’s fruit, compared to last
which means they are down 7% compared to last year, which year, which puts pressure on its price.
to the same period last year. puts pressure on its price
At what stage stand your plans to in-
What are you focusing on this winter? vest in new varieties of kiwi?
We focus on our key customers and Apofruit invests in innovation and re-
adapt to the requirements of the European search in the varietal composition of ki-
programs that are currently “running” in It- wis. In the current period, a new variety
aly and the rest of Europe. We send small- is in an experimental stage, which has a
er quantities of products to the overseas bright green color, high indicators of brix
markets and in general we try to compete and drought. Also on the right track is the
with the Greek quantities of kiwi in the in- ready to eat variety Solarelli, which is dis-
ternational markets. tributed in an ecological paper package
and breaks the consumer public.


FEBRUARY 2021

Creta taste




PACKAGING AND DISTRIBUTION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS


Genuie Cretan

Products
Residue free products
Citrus glossed only with
natural bee wax









































ΣΧΕ∆ΙΑΣΜΟΣ ΓΙΩΡΓΟΣ ΒΕΡΓΟΥΛΙΑ∆ΗΣ






















Creta Taste S. A.
Agia, Chania, Crete | T. +30 28210 78 734 | F. +30 28210 78 637
[email protected] | www.cretataste.com

12 INTERVIEW








ÒAvocado




DEMAND IS HIGH AGAIN THIS YEAR!



The commercial course of avocados is evolving very well this year as well, with producer prices
reaching around 2.50 euros, as supply could not meet the demand so far.



important role in increasing acreage yields,
and even state that when the trees age,
and the above conditions exist, then the
acreage yields, under the above conditions,
exceed 4 tons per acre.

The increase in demand is rapid
All these discussions are good, which
take place around a crop because they
help and improve the crop, and in the end
there is still something useful left.
For the cultivation of avocados, what
we receive is that there is a jump in de-
mand, which supply can not meet, despite
the fact that in recent years many trees
have been planted in Chania and Rethym-
non, and this can not let no one dispute it.
Of course, all the plantings that are do-
For another year, the commercial course ne do not thrive, while at the same time it
of avocados is more than wonderful. Pro- takes many years for the avocado trees to
ducers are rubbing their hands in satisfac- give a remarkable production. This crop re-
tion as prices for deliveries move around quires patience, and as reported by circles
the axis of around € 2.50 from the begin- who are well aware of all that is happen-
ning of the period until today. The reason ing around this product, in a few years the
for this remarkable development is due The inability of production quantities of avocados produced will in-
to the fact that the supply can not meet crease significantly.
demand, and so with great difficulty are to meet demand has opened
placed orders for international markets. As a round of discussions The next period
we were told, in fact, traffickers from the In the early or winter varieties, the har-
area of Chania, this year’s production is between producers, vest is almost complete, and from the be-
enough to cover the demand from the do- traffickers, and the scientific ginning of the year, the harvest in the late
mestic market. Hass variety has begun. This development
Note here that the low production is due community, focusing on the is not the best, as the harvest in this va-
in part to the low temperatures of previ- acreage yields of this crop riety should start from March onwards.
ous years, which had caused damage to However, the high demand has made the
the crop, and so the results of this devel- traffickers “tempted”, and start harvest-
opment can be seen this year. scientific community, focusing on the acre- ing at the wrong time. Of course, there is
age yields of this crop. One portion says no question of absorbing the expected pro-
Is avocado a productive tree? that this crop already has low acreage duction, and it is certain that for this va-
The inability of production to meet de- yields which range from 1.5 tons per acre. riety the prices will remain at high levels.
mand has opened a round of discussions Others dispute this, stating that the micro- Another good year for avocados is in full
between producers, traffickers, and the climate, soil, and cultivation care play an swing, and we hope it ends that way.




FEBRUARY 2021



14 INTERVIEW









“PRODUCTION AND TRADE


ARE PROGRESSING AT A LOSS RATE”



The production and marketing of strawberries during the
Christmas period seemed like a flat line, while this is how the
situation is expected to run until March, at least for marketing,
notes Mr. Fotis Kyriazis, President of AC Yrmini.









FOTIS KYRIAZIS

CHAIRMAN OF AC YRMINI






Mr. Kyriazis, how did the Greek straw-
berry market go during the Christmas
period?
The sales pace was low. Under these
circumstances, with the lockdown in the
HORECA sector and the holidays, there
was neither demand nor much possibilities
for work. It is therefore not possible to sell
quantities within two days.
export it to our most distant Markets.
Where did the Producer prices fluctu-
ate during this period? Which varieties are finding it difficult to
Depending on the Market. The Vegeta- reach the markets?
ble Market of Athens bought at 1.5 euros At the moment, all varieties The Fortuna variety. This is an early vari-
per kilo, while buyers from abroad bought ety, with the fruits being harvested at this
at 4 euros per kilo. In general, the Greek are in the markets, but they time not having the appropriate size, taste
strawberry has reached several countries do not all have the same and color, while their reduced shelf-life
abroad. does not allow them to reach markets be-
dynamics, nor the same yond Bulgaria.
Which varieties are currently in the presence. Victory has the best
spotlight? Compared to last year, what is the lev-
At the moment, all varieties are “on the prospects, while Fortuna has el of production and what is it to come
field”. However, they do not all have the problems next?
same dynamics, nor the same presence. Production, so far, is at last year’s lev-
The predominant variety at the moment is els but I am not able to estimate about the
the Victory variety, since it has increased next developments. However, by March 20,
its production and it is a strawberry with production is planned to continue in all va-
very good organoleptic characteristics and rieties at a leisurely pace and from that
post-harvest behavior, which allows us to point onwards to accelerate.



FEBRUARY 2021

ADVANCED
AGROTEXTILES

16 INTERVIEW







ÒApples




EXPORTS REDUCTION, LOW DEMAND IN THE DOMESTIC MARKET




The absorption of apples continues at a slow pace and this development has generated bad mood
to the traffickers, as they expected that the demand this winter would be at higher levels.










Many new apple orchards
were created this year,
according to nurseries’
observations.
The varieties chosen

by the producers for planting
are the classic red varieties,
like gala and fuji





We are in the second week of January market, it is not string and this should producers for planting are the classic
and the absorption of apples so far does really be expected as a large part of the red varieties, like gala and fuji.
not leave the traffickers happy, as they ex- Greeks live on the allowances given by These new estates were created
pected that due to the covid pandemic, we the state. mainly in those areas that have a tra-
would have a repeat of the last spring’s Close to this fact we must add the dition in apple cultivation, and it is es-
demand. This did not happen and the mar- fact that the high temperatures we had timated that they occupied an area of
ket from the beginning of autumn until to- until the Christmas holidays, do not fa- about 350 hectares. This development
day moved at its known pace. In fact, ship- vor the consumption of apples, but al- is welcomed, but once again we see that
ments to other countries show a decrease so other winter products. However, with producers choose varieties for plant-
of 4.89%, compared to last year, as until the advent of winter, it is estimated that ing, based on the commercial course of
the first week of this year 42,419 tons of the absorption will improve and so from each in recent years, and do not take in-
apples were exported, compared to 44,601 the end of February onwards, the cur- to account consumer trends as they are
tons were exported in the corresponding rent picture will be completely reversed formed on the international stage.
period last year. Egypt is for another year and the product will have a significant Another element, which we see that
at the top of the Greek exports list for this commercial trend in the spring. has not yet started to be applied in our
product, with 30,682 tons absorbed, fol- country by Greek producers, has to do
lowed by Jordan with 4,720 tons and Bul- The creation of new estates is with the way of cultivation. In particu-
garia with 3,306 tons. on the rise lar, the Greek growers do not, as ma-
Many new apple orchards were creat- ny growers in Europe, opt for the so-
The domestic demand is weak ed this year, according to nurseries’ ob- called “fruit-bearing fence”, i.e in low
As for the absorption in the domestic servations. The varieties chosen by the and dense trees.



FEBRUARY 2021

FAO

LAUNCHES THE UN’S INTERNATIONAL YEAR

OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 2021



The International Year of Fruits and Vegetables 2021 falls within the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025)
and the UN Decade of Family Farming (UNDFF 2019-2028). These observances reinforce each other while providing
greater visibility to small-scale producers and raise awareness on food security and nutrition.

The Director-General of the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Na-
tions (FAO), QU Dongyu, launched with an
international virtual event the Internation-
al Year of Fruits and Vegetables 2021 (IY-
FV), where made an appeal to improve
healthy and sustainable food production
through innovation and technology and to
reduce food loss and waste.
Unique opportunity to raise
global awareness
Speaking at the event the FAO Direc-
tor-General described the initiative as “a
unique opportunity to raise global aware-
ness”. He noted that the COVID-19 pan-
demic had challenged people to find new
ways of fighting hunger and malnutrition
and said IYFV would highlight the role of
digital technologies in improving nutrition
and market opportunities.
“In the current health crisis we are facing
around the world, promoting healthy diets moting healthy eating habits while calling to transform and rebalance the way our
to strengthen our immune systems is es- for co-ordinated action to curb malnutrition. food is produced and consumed has on-
pecially appropriate,” Qu said. Teresa Bellanova, Italy’s Minister of Ag- ly been further stressed. The FAO Di-
While noting the challenges in improving ricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, said rector-General noted that food loss and
production and agri-food chains, the FAO Di- her country was ready to share its knowl- waste in the fruits and vegetables sector
rector-General encouraged countries to see edge and experience in sustainable pro- remains a problem with considerable con-
the International Year as an opportunity to duction as the country marked the 10th sequences, and that “innovative technol-
improve infrastructure, farming practices anniversary of UNESCO’s recognition of ogies and approaches are of critical im-
thereby supporting small scale farmers. He the Mediterranean diet as a cultural trea- portance”, as “they can help maintaining
emphasized fruits and vegetables were a sure. safety and quality, increasing the shelf life
good way for farmers to create cash crops. Helena Leurent, the Director-General of of fresh produce items and preserving their
In his message UN Secretary-General, Consumers International, which represents high nutritional value”.
António Guterres, called for a more “ho- 200 consumer organizations around the Food loss and waste reduction improves
listic approach” to nutrition and sustain- world, said it was critical for consumers to food security and nutrition, reduces green-
ability noting next year’s Food Systems have the right to a fair, safe and sustain- house gas emissions, lowers pressure on
Summit would also be an opportunity to able marketplace and to be actively in- water and land resources and can increase
consider the fragility of food systems. volved in how it is shaped in the future. productivity and economic growth. Up to
Chile played the lead role in the proc- 50 percent of fruits and vegetables pro-
lamation of IYFV and the country’s Minis- Taking advantage of the duced in developing countries are lost in
ter for Agriculture, Antonio Walker, told the innovative technologies the supply chain between harvest and con-
event there were many challenges in pro- With the COVID-19 pandemic the need sumption.


FEBRUARY 2021

18 INTERVIEW







ARRIGONI
PROTECTION SHIELD AGAINST HAIL AND RAIN


The special anti-hail and anti-rain nets of the Italian company Arrigoni guarantee the ultimate protection of the
orchards and the greenhouse crops from the blows of the extreme weather phenomena but also from the pest
attacks, “leaving the door open” only for the beneficial sunlight and the fresh breeze.



The Italian company Arrigoni, specializ-
es in the weaving of nets for a range of pro-
fessional uses, from agriculture to indus-
try. Committed to the needs of the modern
agriculture and according to its “green
healthcare philosophy”, Arrigoni offers
crop protection nets that help the growers
produce in a 100% sustainable and com-
pletely zero environmental impact way,
both for humans and for the environment.
Among the company’s products stand out
the world-class nets for the protection of
the crops from extreme weather phenome-
na, such as the strong hail and rain storms.
Τhe hail, for instance, does not only de-
stroy whole crops, but it can also harm the
trees in a way that undermines their pro-
ductivity for several years. Arrigoni FRUCTUS®

IRIDE® and FRUCTUS®, the of two different monofilaments for each well as the height of the structure, deter-
perfect hail shields warp chain. This particular weave ensures mined by the longitudinal cables. What
For the protection against hail Arrigo- the run-proof characteristics of the net, to- changes is the tension strength, reached
ni introduces to the growers IRIDE® and gether with remarkable tenacity and long with an elastic cable between the nets,
FRUCTUS® which stand above the crops duration. Equipped with strong lateral and which thus form a “V” between the rows.
as shields as well as block the access to central selvedges, the nets of this range In this way, the hail is collected and chan-
harmful pests like the Brown Marmorated are particularly suitable for the installa- neled, which helps its discharge from the
Stink Bug. tion in long rows. Finally, the FRUCTUS® nets. The V5 System can also be installed
IRIDE® is available in the MULTIPRO and range nettings are particularly versatile on all types of orchards, with a distance
MULTIPRO EXTRA versions and is an ef- and fulfill the different needs of each an- between the rows greater than 3.5 meters
fective range of anti-frost and anti-hail ti-hail system. and a height of 5 meters.
screens, highly run-proof thanks to their • The Roof-style System was
knitted mesh monofilament. The range of- Tips for the appropriate the first anti-hail system used to protect
fers nets ideal for covering tunnels, green- installation of IRIDE® plants. The nets are installed at an an-
houses and orchards. In addition, IRIDE and FRUCTUS® gle, reminding of the shape of a roof above
MULTIPRO ensures the right hole size, • In the Flat System, the nets are in- the crops, to help the hailstones slide off,
thick meshing and robustness, the fea- stalled horizontally to allow for easy pas- avoiding dangerous accumulations that
tures that make this net the ideal solution sage of machinery. The relative ease of in- could compromise the stability of the
to exclude the harmful Brown Marmorated stallation makes it the cheapest system. structure.
Stink Bug, even in combination with FRUC- To this basic solution, Arrigoni also adds
TUS® range nettings. the possibility of configuring a special V5 PROTECTA® for absolute
FRUCTUS® is the special line of nets System. The V5 was in fact recently devel- protection against rainstorms
woven with UV-stabilized and high-te- oped to solve the problem of hail discharge Due to the climate change, the strong
nacity HDPE monofilament. These nets from the nets. Poles, anchors and nets re- rainstorms constitute a devastating fac-
are made with Leno weave, i.e. made up main the same as in the Flat System, as tor with more and more often appearance,




FEBRUARY 2021

Arrigoni PROTECTA®
while their impact is not limited to the dam-
ages that occur during the rainstorm, but
it does also extend after that, causing the
cracking and the rotting of the fruits. Aim-
ing to protect the crops from rainstorms,
Arrigoni constructed PROTECTA®, enhanc-
ing it with characteristics that make it also
suitable to protect the crops from strong
wind and hail blows as well as from the in-
tense solar radiance.
PROTECTA® is densely woven in high-te-
nacity monofilament ARLENE DIAMOND®
and is therefore intrinsically resistant to
hail. The special rhomboidal design of DIA-
MOND monofilament reduces the screen’s
3D hole size, significantly decreasing the
level of the incoming rain water (up to
90%). Moreover, this design avails the nor-
mal air flow, ensuring excellent wind stabil-
ity as well. What’s more, the slip additive
in the screen structure helps easily drain-
age of water from the textile surface, even
during particularly heavy rainfall (60mm/h),
while the moderate shading factor and light
diffusion properties of the monofilament
provide soft light that protects crops from
sunburn. Finally, the monofilament struc-
ture also contains special additives which
increase its lifetime more than threefold
(120 months) compared to conventional
plastic film (36 months).




Other versions
of the PROTECTA
nets

For crops grown in hotter climates,
ARRIGONI offers PROTECTA GREY®
screen, with black monofilament
in weft and shading factor of 40%
and above. The PROTECTA® rain
cover system can be completed
at the sides with various types of
BIORETE® screens, which defend
crops against insect pest damage.
For more information: The new line of BIORETE AIR PLUS®
insect screens offers increased air
Arrigoni SpA flow to further improve growing
Export Department conditions.
[email protected]

Arrigoni IRIDE®


FEBRUARY 2021