High temperatures accelerate the ripening of prickly pears in Sicily

"Currently, we can say that the Agostano prickly pear campaign went better than the Bastardone campaign due to adverse weather conditions. The Bastardone, typically harvested in mid-September in Sicily, ripened faster due to the high temperatures in September. Consequently, we are harvesting the final Agostano batches and the early-ripening Bastardone simultaneously. This has led to a slowdown in marketing due to overproduction," says Vincenzo D'Alessandro, referring to the Rigiulfo company of the Alessandro brothers and the Sicilian fig season.

The Rigiulfo dei Fratelli Alessandro company is based in San Cono, a town in the province of Catania in Sicily. Specializing in agriculture, the company has its headquarters in Mazzarino, as well as land in the rural districts of Mazzarino and Piazza Armerina. The 103-hectare farm grows prickly pears, almonds, olives, and cereals. Located in a hilly area with a favorable climate (550 meters above sea level), the company utilizes both organic and conventional agricultural techniques. The farm has storage facilities for fruit and machinery for running the farm. It distributes its produce through OPuntia, the first producers' organization to specialize in cultivating the Opuntia ficus-indica variety.

Prickly pear cultivation is highly sustainable. The plant is adapted to arid climates and requires less water than other crops. All parts of the plant are reused: Fruit, leaves, flowers, and cladodes, reducing waste. Prickly pears are in season from August to late December and have two blooms. The first bloom, harvested from August to mid-September, produces sweet, flavorful fruit. The second bloom results from "scozzolatura", a traditional cultivation technique that involves removing early flowers to stimulate delayed flowering. This makes it possible to harvest larger, higher-quality fruits from mid-September onward.

"The high temperatures in September, combined with a lack of rainfall, disrupted the plants' production cycle," explain the farm's owners. "As a result, the ripening of the scozzolatura fruit, the Bastardone, which comes from the second bloom, overlapped with the ripening of the Primofiore or Agostano fruit, which comes from the first bloom in August. This overlap created a market saturation that has been difficult to absorb. Climate change underscores the importance of water resources for maintaining high-quality production, even for subtropical species like prickly pears. That's why we prioritize rational and sustainable water management across all our growing areas."

"Agostano production usually does not require irrigation, unlike the Bastardone type, concludes Vincenzo Alessandro. In irrigated cultivation, a yield of 20 to 25 tons per hectare can be obtained. Prickly pears can be consumed fresh or processed into juices, liqueurs, jellies, jams, and even ice cream. The fruit is highly versatile. It can be eaten fresh, preserved in brine, candied (sweet or sour), or made into jam. Since no part of the fruit goes to waste, our future plans include developing a highly sustainable superfood with significant nutraceutical properties."

From Tuesday, 30 September 2025, to Thursday, 2 October 2025, we will be in Madrid with OP OPuntia as part of our promotional efforts. For us, Fruit Attraction is more than just a trade fair. It's an opportunity to meet new and potential customers, strengthen relationships, and understand market growth trends. There is no better way to showcase our products than through a live cooking event."

For more information:© Azienda Rigiulfo dei fratelli Alessandro
Azienda Rigiulfo dei fratelli Alessandro
Patrizia Petitto
Viale Luigi Sturzo, 50
95040 San Cono (CT) - Italy
+39 3394948363
[email protected]
www.instagram.com/azienda_agricola_alessandro