Demand for mandarins increased by 10% on the holidays in Italy

Mandarins and clementines are not lacking in the Befana stocking which remains a tradition for almost 13 million families. Forecasts speak of at least three citrus fruits as gifts, estimates by the Cia-Agricoltori Italiani, between two and one more than in 2021 for an overall increase in demand of 10%, despite the swing in prices and a production season below 20% . And so, between expensive living and uncertainties, the typical Epiphany ritual confirms the right resolution for the new year, full of simplicity and genuineness, all agri-food and Made in Italy. Therefore, underlines Cia, the attention of Italians to eating well and healthy, manages to act as a counterbalance to a far from idyllic economic situation for national agricultural production, including in the citrus sector. On the one hand, he is forced to deal with doubled cultivation costs due to increases in water, energy, manure, fertilizers and the share of labour, already difficult to find upstream. On the other hand, ...