Scafati. The outstanding horticultural production of the Agro Nocera Sarnese and Vesuviano areas must be combined with sustainable production, product quality, and the safety of agricultural workers to keep pace with European standards and new regulations: this is the core of the partnership between the Cooperativa del Golfo and Syngenta. Cooperation, development, and environmental sustainability to make flower producers increasingly competitive on the national and international markets were the focus of the conference organized by the Cooperativa Del Golfo, based in Scafati—a European leader in the production and marketing of cut flowers and foliage—with the multinational Syngenta, a company that develops plant protection products and services for the safety of agricultural producers and the training of agricultural technicians.
Two excellences face to face with a single goal: to improve the quality of products and competitiveness on the national and foreign market in the floricultural sector in compliance with increasingly stringent laws on environmental protection and operator safety. Numerous producers and members of the Cooperativa Del Golfo took part in the training meeting, which has about 250 members, in Campania, Calabria and Puglia and has production on about 150 hectares of land. Vittorio Santarpia, agronomist, of the Coop floricola introduced the conference: "Tonight we are starting a growth path together with Syngenta - said the professional - it will be a path of training and support for the companies of our cooperative".
Il Golfo is a reality of excellence of the Agro Nocera and Vesuviano capable of competing on equal terms with the Dutch giants in the production of flowers and ornamental leaves, cultivating through its producers and members, hundreds of varieties of flowers.
Founded in 1989, the cooperative – at the beginning of the 2000s – entered the international market becoming one of the major competitors in the export of flowers of the Dutch giants. The coop, a supplier member of Flora Holland, the largest world flower market, boasts numerous records. 90% of the flowers produced in the Agro Nocerino Sarnese and Vesuvius areas are exported throughout Europe: Holland, Spain, France, Eastern Europe and in the last two years these beautiful flowers have also been used to decorate the Stockholm Concert Hall where the Nobel Prize award ceremony is held. Carnations, ranunculus, lily pads and ornamental leaves participate in Dutch flower auctions and are appreciated by buyers from all over the world.
To maintain increasingly high quality standards, Cooperativa Del Golfo focuses on training and updating its members and producers. With this in mind, the partnership with Syngenta was born, a leader in the agropharmaceutical sector that, in addition to producing cutting-edge and sustainable products for agriculture, has developed ad hoc preparations for the floriculture sector.
During the conference, Stefano Cerchiai, Syngenta's head for Italy for the technical part for floriculture and Dr. Annamaria Contesini, together with Alfonso Di Massa, head for Campania of the Swiss multinational, discussed with the producers of the Del Golfo cooperative, the problems related to the production and use of agrochemicals, to improve the product while respecting the environment and the safety of both the producers and those who live in the areas where the flowers are grown.
"We will launch initiatives that are not only technical but also training-related – explained Syngenta manager Alfonso Di Massa – to give greater visibility to excellent productions. Campania is the leading producer of foliage and flowers and the Del Golfo cooperative represents excellence in Italy. We must network, we must build a cut flower production chain to further improve what producers are already doing so well, focusing on quality without neglecting the aspect of certifications”.
We have decided to invest in research in the horticultural sector – said Stefano Cerchiai of Syngenta -, a significant sector that is worth two and a half billion euros and represents 2% of national exports. Campania is the first in Italy for the production of cut flowers and is in first place in the South for the production of plants and leaves. Companies are increasingly pressured: there are new phytosanitary problems, which are associated with a reduction in available products. To all this we must associate the entry into force of new regulations that are difficult to manage. Our company has decided to invest directly in horticultural production by creating ad hoc products for manufacturing companies, the environmental impact and the effectiveness of our agropharmaceuticals are studied in a Syngenta research center in Switzerland”.
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