The industrial tomato processing campaign has officially begun, according to Conserve Italia, an agri-food cooperative company that owns the Cirio, Valfrutta, Jolly Colombani, and Pomodorissimo-Santarosa brands.
Grown by its members on more than 6,000 hectares, Conserve Italia, which unites 36 agricultural cooperatives, hopes to process 515,000 tonnes of 100% Italian tomatoes (+19.5% compared to 2024).
In order to guarantee full operation of the five plants involved in the campaign, which will run until the end of September, around 1,400 seasonal workers have been hired. 120 in Ravarino (Modena), with a processing programme of 80,000 tonnes (including 18,000 tonnes of organic tomatoes); 200 in Albinia (Grosseto), with a program of 84,000 tonnes; 70 seasonal workers at the XII Morelli plant (Ferrara), where the goal is to process 38,000 tonnes of tomatoes; and more than 550 workers have been hired at the Pomposa site (Ferrara), which is anticipated to process 260,000 tonnes of tomatoes this year; and 450 seasonal workers in Mesagne (Brindisi) with a goal of 53,000 tonnes, primarily of long tomatoes for the peeled tomatoes line.
For the 2025 season, all five new mechanical recompression evaporators will come online, a strategic investment of €25 million that is part of an overall €86 million plan.
According to Conserve Italia, the plants guarantee an annual reduction of 12,000 tonnes in CO2 emissions while also enhancing the quality of pulps and purees, increasing energy efficiency, reducing water usage, digitising the process, and providing better working conditions for operators. Additionally, the automated warehouse is being enlarged to 120,000 pallet spaces at the Pomposa factory, which is the Group’s primary facility and one of the biggest in Europe for the processing of canned vegetables.
Maurizio Gardini, president of Conserve Italia, noted the business’s continued investment to “maximise the value of the raw materials” supplied by its Italian producer members.
“Our strength is a genuine cooperative supply chain, which promotes Made in Italy excellence like tomatoes, generating value and income for the national agricultural system ,” Gardini said.
Pier Paolo Rosetti, general manager of Conserve Italia, stressed that the industrial, logistical, and agronomic innovations it is implementing allows it to bring sustainable and environmentally friendly tomatoes to global markets, as well as them being safe, and traceable.
“From seed to finished product, we invest to ensure and improve quality and sustainability. It is this integrated approach that allows us to combine quality, sustainability, and competitiveness,” Rosetti added.
