Increased demand for exotic/ethnic vegetables

Non-European vegetables are increasingly demanded.

A conference entitled "Farmers, production and distribution for the multi-ethnic city" within the project "Feeding the city that is changing." This project involves the experimental culture of non-European vegetables on local farms, 3-year project sponsored by the City of Milan and Expo2015.

Luigi Predeval, President of Sogemi SpA, the wholesale market of Milan, has confirmed that the demand for exotic/ ethnic vegetables increases. Thus for taro (vegetable root), sales in 2012 totaled 515 quintals (50 quintals in 2010), for Chinese cabbage sales in 2012 totaled 3,655 quintals (25 quintals in 2010) for the pak choi sales 2012 totaled 640 quintals and 1750 quintals for the first 9 months of 2013.

This increase in demand is due to the ever-increasing number of foreigners in the city, and can become an opportunity for agricultural production in the region. Already 145 quintals of pak choi sold in the market comes from farms in Lombardy.

source : sogemi news mercatimilano com