FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SUPPLY CHAIN.

It is certainly the best organized supply chain in the BioDistrict territory; as an outlet it covers the local, national and international markets and spans various fruit and vegetable products: it involves not only, but especially, off-season products such as tomatoes in protected cultivation; artichokes, asparagus and celery are also very important; the presence of fruit is weak, except in the citrus field.
The strength of this supply chain is given by the presence of a recognized Organic Producers Organization on the fruit and vegetable CMO, the S’Atra Sardigna Cooperative, which has been producing with organic methods since its establishment, over 42 years ago (1982), and groups 40 companies in the fruit and vegetable sector, has a Conditioning Center in Sestu (CA) and provides free technical assistance service to members that also facilitates, if necessary, the company conversion process. This OP reports that the demand for products from its customers is higher than the supply that the same OP can put on the market. Wide scope, therefore, for the development of the Supply Chain.
The producers adhering to this supply chain are mostly located in three sub-areas of the BioDistrict: Sulcis, the adjacent Campidano or included in the Metropolitan City and lower Oristano area.

There are several growth opportunities for this supply chain which, although it is the most mature of the five involved in the BioDistrict, is the one where the immediate growth margin is greatest also because it is guaranteed by structural solidity of the supply chain itself and by strong growth in demand that has led the Producers Organization itself to present a PIF, Sardinian Organic Fruit and Vegetables, which resulted first among those financed even if still in the implementation phase. Through the aforementioned PIF, the availability of surfaces and structures will be increased by 40% compared to the current one and despite this, it will be difficult to satisfy the demand currently present on the market. Notable is the dimension that is affecting almond cultivation which will produce its benefits for strengthening the supply chain within the next two years; already now more than ten new almond growers are aggregated or about to do so, for a planted area of about 100 hectares.
The Producers Organization has presented a specific investment plan to equip itself within a year with an almond processing plant.