The Cherry of Bracigliano, in the Salerno area, entered the basket of products controlled by CSQA in 2023.
Campania has conquered the 28th regional PGI and is preparing to build a new satellite channel around a fruit of recognized quality that involves a 130-hectare crop spread over 13 municipalities and involving 500 farms.
The territory
A recognition that rewards an area between the provinces of Salerno and Avellino and includes the municipalities of Baronissi, Bracigliano, Calvanico, Castel San Giorgio, Cava de' Tirreni, Fisciano, Mercato San Severino, Pellezzano and Roccapiemonte in the province of Salerno; in addition to Contrada, Forino, Montoro and Moschiano for the province of Avellino.The production area of the "Ciliegia di Bracigliano" PGI indicated in the specification includes the entire territory of the following municipalities located in the provinces of Salerno and Avellino. Province of Salerno: Baronissi, Bracigliano, Calvanico, Castel San Giorgio, Cava de' Tirreni, Fisciano, Mercato San Severino, Pellezzano, Roccapiemonte, Siano. Province of Avellino: Contrada, Forino, Montoro, Moschiano.
Development drivers
Carmine Libretto, director of Confagricoltura Salerno underlines that «the areas suited to quality cherry growing in the provinces of Avellino and Salerno are contiguous and fall within the Valle dell'Irno area. For this reason, the LAG Terra è Vita has strongly supported the process of recognition of the IGP certification for the Bracigliano cherry as a driver of the quality development of the territory».Thanks to the PGI brand, the annual production of around 10,000 quintals will be enhanced and increased. To date, the economy of the product is based on the marketing of fresh produce, and there are only two processing industries.
«The official recognition - continues Libretto - of the Bracigliano cherry also allows us to overcome the critical phase linked to the weakening of cherry-growing, caused by the scarce workforce and above all by the low remuneration of the work. Today we can reverse the perspectives and imagine jam and candy industries».
The varieties
Confagricoltura Salerno illustrates the varieties included in the specification:- Spernocchia di Bracigliano (sweet durone cherry);
- Sciazza (sweet durone cherry);
- Pagliaccia (or clown or pallaccia) sour cherry;
- Silvestre (sweet durone cherry);
- Palermitana (sweet durone cherry);
- Baron Picella (sweet durone cherry);
- Prince (sweet cherry);
- Don Carmelo (sweet durone cherry);
- Bigarreu (sweet cherry).