29 Mar Rucola of the Piana del Sele at the top of made in Italy
With over 800 million euros in turnover, on about 4000 hectares of land, the rocket of the Piana del Sele is ready to break into the market with the PGI brand, upsetting the “top five” of products with the symbol of Made in Italy.
The numbers that the imminent recognition of the PGI will be able to generate were presented at Fruit Logistica in Berlin. To illustrate the data was Vito Busillo, president of the association that promoted the IGP process as well as president of Coldiretti Salerno. The national president of Coldiretti, Ettore Prandini and vice president Gennarino Masiello, also leader of the regional federation of Campania, also attended the conference hosted in the Italian Fruit Village area, with the presence of the main Salerno protection consortia. The Piana del Sele rocket PGI will allow the arrival on the market of a European brand product which in 2018 saw a production of 400 million kilos in 430 companies, of which 60% led by young people with a strong value of technological innovation and environmental sustainability. The Sele rocket represents 73% of national production, of which 40% ends up in export sales channels, with peaks in the winter months. 85% of production is absorbed by large Italian and foreign distribution. Turnover in 2018 was approximately 680 million euros, with approximately 5,000 direct employees and 4,000 associated companies. The PGI production area involves the territories of Eboli, Battaglia, Pontecagnano Faiano, Montecorvino Rovella, Montecorvino Pugliano, Bellizzi and Capaccio – Paestum. “But the forecasts are really exciting – explained Busillo – with an estimated growth of around 20%, as evidenced by the recently published Ismea studies on the performance of branded products. We therefore expect that the PGI will push the turnover of our rocket to 850 million euros, placing it in third place among the geographic brands, flags of Made in Italy “.
To support the growth forecast is also the consumption trend of the fourth range, which in Italy involves about 20 million consumers, with an increase of 2 million per year “. In the Italian “top five” of products with the symbol of Made in Italy (source Ismea), Grana Padano PDO is in first place with 1.3 million euros in production turnover. Parmigiano Reggiano DOP follows with 1.2 million. Rucola della Piana del Sele PGI is ready to conquer third place with a weighted forecast of 850 million euros, which will precede Prosciutto di Parma PDO which has a turnover of 816 million, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI with 381 million and finally, at sixth place, the Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP with 372 million. The rocket of the Piana del Sele is the result of precision agriculture 4.0, with the use of microprocessors for irrigation and harvesting, as well as total traceability of the product. It is characterized by a strong presence of young people who, in the Salerno area, has seen a boom in enrollments in Agricultural Institutes with a + 45%. It is a production with high environmental sustainability, with water saving, absence of pesticides, zero residues and significant growth in the production of “organic” rocket. It represents a national value, with an effective collaboration between North and South, which bring together quality logistics and production. But the rocket is also presented as a real “superfood”. It has anti-inflammatory properties, given the presence of calcium, magnesium and potassium. It is an antioxidant and anticancer, because it contains beta-carotene, vitamin C, lutein and zeaxanthin but also flavonoids and isothiocyanates such as sulforaphane. It is an anti-aging product, thanks to calcium that helps strengthen the structure of the nails and bones and vitamin K has a protective action on the bone system. It is low-calorie, with only 25 calories per 100 grams of food. Finally, rocket is recommended for pregnant women, because it is rich in folate which, turning into folic acid, helps prevent fetal malformations.
