"We are still in the midst of the apricot harvest"

While the apricots are in full harvest and the plums have just begun, the persimmons are waiting for their turn in the fall. And let's not forget about the new plantings and other novelties. For the Italian company Società Agricola Guidi, these are weeks of intense work. "We are still in the middle of the apricot harvest, which we distribute under the Albisole brand," says Umberto Benvenuti, head of the Carpinello plant in Forlì, in the Emilia-Romagna region. Currently, we are harvesting the Farliss variety, which tastes very good and has red hues."

Apricots: Increasing in quantity
As Benvenuti points out, "This year, our harvest increased by 50 percent compared to 2024, which was a poor year due to bad weather. Although there have been negative weather events in recent months, we have absorbed the impact more effectively. Apricot sales will continue for at least three more weeks. The marketing of the totally red varieties has now been completed. The campaign went well. On average, the red varieties fetched higher prices than the traditional ones. The market for yellow varieties started off well, but slowed down in July before picking up again in August. Overall, we cannot complain about the season."

Plums at the start of the season
The marketing campaign for plums under the Albisole - Le Susine della Romagna brand begins this week with the Stanley and October Sun varieties. "For large-scale retail chains and markets, we supply the aforementioned two varieties, as well as the Angeleno variety. We will begin harvesting the latter variety next week. The plants have a good yield, though not excessive, so we are confident in the quality of the fruit. Sales of the Angeleno variety will begin in October and continue through December, including abroad."

Table grape
The new addition in 2025 is the table grape variety from Romagna. It is cultivated on ten hectares of land in the Roncofreddo hills in the Forlì-Cesena area. "Considering that the plant is in its third year, the harvest went very well," said Gianmarco Benvenuti, the technical manager of Società Agricola Guidi. "There were positive results in terms of both quantity and quality. This is a niche in which our company needs to expand its offerings. Currently, there is excellent demand for our 'Terra di Romagna' brand of table grapes, especially on a regional scale." The variety in production is Arra 30. Over the past year, we have further refined our cultivation techniques. The results speak for themselves: vigorous plants with good size and sugar content (°Brix)," Gianmarco concludes.

Persimmon
Guidi now has 30 hectares of persimmon trees located on both the plain and the hills. Most of the trees are young and not yet producing at full capacity. However, this year is shaping up to be a good one, with decent yields expected. The harvest is still several weeks away, so precise forecasts are not yet possible. Once again, the fruit will be distributed under the Terra di Romagna brand.

© Albisole
Società Agricola Guidi's brands. From left: Albisole for yellow and red apricots and plums
Terra di Romagna for persimmons, artichokes, and table grapes

Upcoming news
Società Agricola Guidi's investments are ongoing. "In the coming months, we will plant several new orchards," explains Umberto. "First, we will establish another 10 hectares of red apricots, which will ripen in early June. The orchard will be fully protected, and we plan to experiment with rain protection systems specifically designed for apricots."

Next, we will plant 15 hectares of plum trees, featuring the October Sun and Angeleno varieties. These will be located on the plain with a cover crop to support soil health.

Finally, Guidi is expanding into kiwi production to offer customers a broader product selection. "We will plant 10 hectares of green kiwis, specifically the Hayward variety. When cultivated properly, harvested at the optimal time, and stored under ideal conditions, these will be high-quality fruits that meet customer expectations."

For more information:
Guidi Agricultural Company
Fruit and Vegetable Division
Via Brasini, 2 Bis
47122 Forlì - Italy
+39 0543728296
[email protected]
www.agricolaguidi.com