The special relationship has been confirmed with large-scale retail and farms, with a focus on trust and mutual intent.
The 2021/2022 potato harvest ended in May, with Romagnoli F.lli Spa recording very positive results. Potatoes delivered on consignment - as part of the Framework Agreement for the sale of fresh ware potatoes, were worth €320/ton, +28% compared with the values from 2020/21 (€0.320/kg) for premium-grade products, a price which rewards high-quality production. The results of the harvest confirm the company’s high level of expertise, being able to fully renew the trusted relationships with large-scale retail and farms.
“It was a complicated harvest, whose main critical issues involved the decreasing consumption on the Italian market and difficulties with plant protection, factors that are part of an equally complex scene for growing potatoes”, confirmed Giulio Romagnoli, the CEO of Romagnoli F.lli Spa, at the traditional end-of-harvest meeting with producers held on 28th June at the company’s headquarters in Bologna. “Thanks to its sound commercial policies and the proven efficiency of its organisational and production structure, our company has carried out set projects with skill and determination, showing a real ability to provide concrete answers for the supply chain through targeted actions and astute planning”.
In line with the process of recent years, Romagnoli F.lli Spa’s company policy continued to focus on innovation into varieties, investments, and strengthening the organisational structure and human resources. Furthermore, the company has developed and consolidated the market shares of its èVita Residue-Free premium lines and the Selenella® and PDO Patata di Bologna brands, traditionally associated with the region, sustainability and quality. There were increases in market shares for the Private Label segment and the premium price segment, since at the same time as a decrease in consumption (-5% on the previous year) there was also a polarisation of it.
Despite the growing number of click beetles (Agriotes spp.), which have damaged production in all areas in recent years and for which there are not yet any definitive solutions available, Romagnoli F.lli Spa’s expertise launched a trial to combat this beetle using natural methods, combining green manure of Ruzrok variety Sudan grass with the use of entomopathogenic nematodes with good results, guaranteeing high quality standards for the market. In this respect, research into pest control is continuing with ever greater conviction, in which the company is investing while using the innovative expertise of its own technical staff.
“The success of this harvest is closely linked to the synergy and shared intent which unite Romagnoli F.lli’s goals with those of large-scale retail, which has proven to be receptive and open to dialogue with our company”, continued Mr Romagnoli. “An equally important contribution also comes from farms, which are genuinely interested in pursuing a shared approach that brings real added value to the entire supply chain. The Emilia-Romagna system is increasingly confirming its place as the leading benchmark involving a growing number of stakeholders, including in other Italian production areas”.
Proving its process of transparency and sharing, Romagnoli F.lli Spa unveiled its first Sustainability Report, produced in accordance with the “Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Reporting Standards” established by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), an international standard for reporting information on sustainability. This document is the tool through which the company systematically developed its strategic overview, in the hope of seeing the entire supply chain increasingly engaged in this assessment process aimed at sharing and promoting cutting-edge agricultural practices, to help build a better future for the next generations.
