After a promising start for early and medium early varieties and despite a normal production level in Europe, the peaches and nectarines industry showed in August strong signs of difficulty. In these days the sector is even close to reach the negative values of 2009.

For this reason AREFLH (The Assembly of European fruit and vegetable Regions)  brought to the attention of the European Commission the problem of price volatility for highly perishable fruit and vegetables, too often at the mercy of a market that - despite the quality of goods - put too much pressures on prices thus not allowing to sufficiently remunerate growers and coverig production costs. The President of the CSO, the Italian fresh produce Service Center based in Ferrara, Paolo Bruni (pictured, right, alongside Luciano Trentini, director of the CSO and chairman of the board of producers dell'Areflh) agrees with AREFLH supporting their position on the necessity of a crisis prevention and management policy.

"The producers - said Bruni - have to have tools that enable them to adjust rapidly and flexibly the supply to demand through an effective management of shipments. The tools and actions required - Brown claims - must be especially useful to ensure enterprises’ income. For this reason we believe it essential that the European Commission promotes greater flexibility in managing the necessary amendments to regulations."