La Trentina closes the 2026 plum campaign with a new production record: 662 tonnes

The cooperative La Trentina has announced that it has concluded the 2026 plum season with 662 tonnes of product delivered, the highest quantity recorded to date.

A result accompanied by an important organisational development within the Apot system: the return to Pietramurata of the processing of all cultivated varieties, including those that had been temporarily entrusted to external facilities in recent years.

The commercial campaign

The commercial campaign, lasting approximately eight weeks from mid-August to the beginning of October, involved both the Susina di Dro Dop, the flagship product of local fruit growing, and the Stanley and other minor varieties. Their return to the cooperative's direct management, after temporary outsourcing in previous years, represents an important step towards strengthening oversight of the production chain and enhancing local products.

The reorganisation has also been made possible by the commissioning of a new grading machine at the Pietramurata facility. The equipment makes it possible to select the fruit according to size, defects and degree of ripeness. This improves the uniformity of supplies, enabling the different commercial requirements to be met more effectively.

The Susina di Dro Dop

The seasonal production result includes all the varieties delivered. Within this offering, however, a special place belongs to the Susina di Dro Dop, a true excellence of the Sarca Valley. Also known as the black plum of Dro, it is an indigenous cultivar with a long tradition: references to its cultivation date back to the thirteenth century. Its history is intertwined with that of local cooperation: in 1911, the establishment of the Consorzio Cooperativo Lega dei Contadini del Bacino Arcense, which had 650 members at its foundation, marked an important stage in the development of modern fruit-growing activities.

Oval and slightly elongated in shape, the Susina di Dro Dop is recognisable by its purplish skin tending towards dark blue, covered with bloom, the thin natural whitish coating that protects the fruit. The flesh is firm and yellow or yellow-green in colour, with a sweet-and-sour, aromatic flavour. These characteristics are linked to the production area and the microclimate of the Sarca Valley, also influenced by the Òra del Garda, the typical wind that spreads from the lake forcefully through the neighbouring valleys.

The protected designation of origin safeguards this heritage through precise production rules and a rigorous control and traceability system involving producers, cultivated plots and those responsible for packaging. Harvesting takes place by hand, following ripening in the different microclimates, with particular attention paid to preserving the integrity of the fruit and its bloom.

The enhancement of the sorting facilities, with processing returning to Pietramurata, thus renews the bond between this production and its territory and represents a tangible sign of the intention of the La Trentina cooperative and the Apot system to keep the activities of the supply chain in the area, enhancing the work and passion of the producers and combining the protection of a historic variety with the commercial development of the other products.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.