The Ruggiero company has started up two new potato packing plants last year

Angelo Ruggiero is the marketing manager of the Ruggiero group an Italian packer of potatoes and onions. He is a potato and onion specialist and he shared some observations.

Angelo Ruggiero:
 

“2018 was a tough yet very positive year for the Ruggiero group. The shortage in Northern Europe and the pressure coming from the processing industry allowed the potato market to keep a positive trend”.

“Additionally, 2018 was a very important year for us as we added two more plants to the four we already had. These new structures will be technologically advanced, and they will be active within 2019”.

“The plants will implement highly technological lines and innovative automatic systems, as a guarantee of increasingly performing qualitative standards. We are really proud of the results we achieved. The Ruggiero family could make it possible only thanks to the help of our partners, technicians and advisors who work every day with passion as if they are part of a big family”.

According to the manager, potato consumption is good, at the moment.

Angelo Ruggiero:
 

“The cold temperatures surely are helpful. Volumes are not lacking; therefore, we think that the fridge-preserved produce will be able to satisfy the market demand until new productions will arrive”.

With regards to the onions, on the other hand, Angelo Ruggiero:
 

“There is a widespread shortage as the climate has not been favourable at all. In Europe, the sector is experiencing a big crisis: the marketed produce went down by 30%. The demand keeps being high, but as there are fewer quantities, the prices have incredibly increased if compared to previous campaigns.”

“The Italian potato and onion sector should focus on the quality of the produce and on the room for improvement in terms of innovation and specialisation. There is still a lot to do in this sector, and the consumers are knowledgeable enough to embrace new produce varieties”.

Many people from the Ruggiero group will take part in the fair: the president Antonio Ruggiero, the marketing director Angelo Ruggiero, the QA manager Luisa Ruggiero, the marketing manager Valentia Deserti and the logistics manager Valeria Palmiero.

A charming and complex world

The company took stock of the activities undertaken thus far.

Angelo Ruggiero:
 

“In the last year, we focused on marketing and communication in order to show the value of our entire supply chain to those customers that choose Ruggiero potatoes and onions every day”.

“Our world is charming and complex, and it asks for a constant commitment – especially for us that follow the entire supply chain, from the seed selection to the distribution with MMR [PP: Mass Market Retailers]”.

“We see a lot of interest from the customers who want to be part of the produce’s life cycle, from the field to the table. We communicate a lot through social media: we share recipes, advises, pictures, experiences and stories that tell our group’s daily life. We want our customers to feel as they are part of our world”.

Describing the product

Transparency, closeness, quality: these are the company’s core values.

Angelo Ruggiero:

“We think is extremely important to follow a system, to include as many producers as possible and to reinforce our relationship with the MMR in terms of communication and training. For instance, we could realise in-store events, which have always been successful”.

“The produce must be described in the clearest, most precise and incisive way as possible because not all the potatoes are similar. It is very important for us to 'make Culture' so that this produce can get rid of the ‘commodity’ concept surrounding it”.

“Customers want consistency both in terms of taste and service. They are willing to spend a bit more for quality produce, especially for the Made in Italy, for the organic and for the certified and the produce farmed in a sustainable manner”.

In the last year, the group collaborated with the MMR through sharing projects and know-hows in order to better promoting the product and the horticultural sector in general.

Angelo Ruggiero:

“As of today, our products are available in the best retailers. For years, we have been producing controlled supply chain products for the major MMR players, in accordance with the shared principles on production specifications. There is still a lot to do for our sector, but we are hopeful: revolution must start from our main actors.

In that regard, the Antonio Ruggiero company is constantly active. There is a 2019 full of passion, love for our job and a lot of news waiting for us”.