Coldiretti Puglia warns of low grape prices in retail

Coldiretti Puglia has raised alarms regarding aggressive promotional pricing in large-scale retail, where white table grapes are being sold for 0.99 euros per kilogram. This promotion, which requires the purchase of at least two 2.5 kg crates, represents a 40% discount from the standard price of 1.39 euros per kilogram.

According to Coldiretti Puglia, this pricing structure severely compresses the remuneration for farmers. A breakdown of the supply chain costs for a 2.5 kg crate sold at 0.99 euros per kilogram reveals that the value attributed to the grapes themselves is only approximately 0.30 to 0.40 euros per kilogram. Other costs impacting the final price include packaging (0.40 euros for cardboard, 0.10 euros for covers), transport (0.35 euros), harvesting labor (0.50 euros), and VAT.

Despite high product quality and investments in varietal innovation in the Puglia region to meet international market demands, the sector remains under heavy pressure from market price fluctuations.