This year, garlic cultivation in the Piacenza area faces challenges as heavy rainfall has caused harvest delays and increased potential waste. The assessment of the early type harvest comes from a commercial director of a company specializing in garlic, onions, and shallots.
The anticipated harvest was set for mid-May, but persistent rain has hindered progress. Typically, a rain-free period of at least ten days is ideal before harvesting as garlic requires less water during certain maturation stages. However, this year’s rain persisted until late May.
These circumstances raise concerns for producers who have reduced cultivation areas due to uncertain production, unfavourable weather conditions, rising costs, and unclear sales trends. Lower yields per hectare are expected due to a larger proportion of unsuitable produce for sale. Moreover, the harvest has been delayed and is only starting now. Consequently, the new garlic may not enter the market until mid-to-late June. It is feared that the rejection rate, typically between 10% and 20%, may rise to 30-50% this year, a level not seen in recent years.
Following the early type harvest, the red garlic harvest is scheduled for mid-June, with the Piacenza garlic harvest expected between late June and early July. Producers hope that high humidity will not result in phytosanitary issues, as these crops are susceptible to diseases.
26 May 2023
