The greengrocer's market in Italy

The early fruit market identifies the production, harvesting and distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables. The global first fruits market includes two segments: the sale of fresh fruits in specialty stores and the sale of fresh vegetables in specialty stores.

According to FAO, global fruit production has increased from 577 million tons in 2000 to 886 million tons in 2017, or a CAGR of 2.42%, while global vegetable production is almost double. Fresh fruit and vegetable production is largely dominated by Asia: it alone accounts for 59 % of fruit production and 74 % of vegetable production.

In Europe, the largest producers of fruits and vegetables are Spain and Italy, which together account for 42 % of European production. In recent years, Italy has produced up to 10 million tons of fruit and about 7 million tons of vegetables. About a third of the fruit and a tenth of the vegetables are exported, and directed mainly to Germany, France and Austria.

Italy presents a highly fragmented market. In fact, the market has about 740 thousand farms and 70 thousand food processors, and an extensive distribution network of about 230 thousand outlets.

The fresh produce market remains highly dependent on weather and climate, which explains the occasional increase in prices, not to mention the international economic situation and the prices of raw materials and fuel. Early market players are trying to expand their supply with organic products, which have now become an essential part of the food industry.

Due to the supply rush caused by the Covid-19 emergency, consumer prices have risen 10 % for fruits and 5.4 % for vegetables. However, according to Coldiretti, the lockdown has had a negative effect on the national agribusiness chain, with a revenue loss of about one billion due to lost sales of fresh food.