When a European industrial buyer looks for Italian citrus fruits, two names always come back: Catania and Calabria. The Calabria is the main citrus-growing district of Calabria and one of the largest in Europe in terms of extension and production of clementines. Knowing the territory helps to understand why the product that arrives has specific characteristics.
The numbers
The Calabria Plain extends for approximately 32,000 hectares in the area north of Reggio Calabria, enclosed between Aspromonte and the Tyrrhenian Sea. Of these:
- Approximately 18,000 hectares are cultivated with citrus groves.
- The annual production of citrus fruits exceeds 350,000 tons.
- The district represents approximately 30% of Italian clementine production.
- There are over 4,000 agricultural companies, mostly cooperatives or consortia.
The microclimate
Three climatic factors make the area particularly suitable:
Tyrrhenian exposure.The sea to the west mitigates winter temperatures. Frosts below -3°C, devastating for citrus fruits, are historically rare in the Plain.
Aspromonte behind.The mountain barrier to the east holds back the cold currents from the north-east and creates a favorable temperature inversion on winter nights.
Sunstroke.Over 2,700 hours of sunshine per year, the highest figure in Calabria. Prolonged photosynthesis results in high levels of sugars and flavonoids in fruits.
The soils
The alluvial soils of fluvial-marine origin of the Plain are deep, draining, rich in siliceous skeleton. The presence of micro-elements (manganese, iron, zinc) typical of alluvial soils gives the fruits peculiar organoleptic characteristics: greater aromatic intensity, brighter colours, firmer pulp.
The cultivated varieties
The specialization of the district:
- Clementines: queen of the plain, with the Comune variety (harvest November-December), Hernandina tardiva (January-March), Nules (September-November).
- Blonde oranges: Navel External Tarot, Navelina, Washington Navel.
- Pigmented oranges: Tarocco, Moro, Sanguinello.
- Mandarin: late Havana, late Ciaculli Mandarin (March harvest).
- Lemon: Femminello Comune, Femminello Continella in the three seasonal harvests.
- Bergamot: in the areas to the south, towards Reggio Calabria (DOP).
The local processing industry
The district has developed a complete transformation chain: packaging centres, single piece and block freezing systems, dryers, essential oil distilleries. The proximity between the field and the factory (average radius 30 km) reduces the time between harvesting and processing to 12-36 hours, compared to the 48-96 hours typical of a long supply chain.
Territorial certifications
The district is home to two protected geographical indications:
- Clementines of Calabria PGI: the first Italian citrus fruit with PGI certification, obtained in 1997.
- Bergamot from Reggio Calabria – DOP essential oil: recorded in 2001.
Added to these are numerous company certifications: GlobalGAP, BRC, IFS, EU organic, specific product certifications for the halal and kosher market.
Logistics
The port of Calabria is one of the main container hubs in the Mediterranean. The presence of refrigerated terminals reduces export shipping times to Northern Europe (7-10 days in ATP containers for frozen foods) and to the Far East (18-22 days). For a European industrial buyer, this means a competitive supply chain even in distant markets.
Why contact a supplier from the Piana
Three practical advantages for those who purchase:
- Specialization: the companies in the district only produce citrus fruits and fruit, they are not generalists.
- Vertical traceability: field, plant and logistics are often managed by the same operator or by operators in a close supply chain.
- Wide seasonality: the variety of crops allows us to receive Calabrian citrus fruits for 10 months of the year.
Discover Far Group Calabria: we work in Calabria, at the foot of Aspromonte, and we bring Calabrian citrus fruits to the European food industry.
