Profitability of Artichoke Growing in the Mediterranean Area

Abstract

<jats:p>Cultivation of artichokes for production is significant in the Mediterranean Basin. Italy represents an important productive hub and in this context, Sicily has been one of the foremost production areas. Artichoke production is a stable element of either specialized or mixed production systems in the region. However, due to the economic recession and increasing imports of artichokes from North African countries, many companies are undergoing crisis, with concerns for the negative impact on the socioeconomic fabric, in terms of the rising unemployment an eventual collapse of this specific activity would determine. According to the theory of economic development, a prerequisite of a territory’s development is that its economic enterprises be competitive. Ensuing from this hypothesis, this article analyzes the profitability of artichoke production in the Mediterranean. The study was conducted in Sicily, an island in the heart of the Mediterranean, where its cultivation is a long-standing tradition. Our results showed a low profitability for artichoke cultivation in relation to the unfavorably high production costs, whereas the low market prices also reflect the competition from countries of North Africa.</jats:p>

The Use of Hydromulching as an Alternative to Plastic Films in an Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus cv. Symphony) Crop: A Study of the Economic Viability

“…Studies dealing with costs accounting in artichoke are practically non-existent. Among them, Sgroi et al [57] reported costs on the island of Sicily of €17,119.75 ha −1 , higher than those found in our study. As in that study, the variable costs in the present work were much higher than the fixed ones.…”

Effects of alternative cropping systems on globe artichoke qualitative traits

“…Currently the artichoke in the Mediterranean basin, of which Sardinia is a fully representative area, is grown according to traditional methods relying on monoculture systems . The autumn–winter production is normally destined for fresh consumption, while that harvested during the spring period is used by the processing industry . At the end of spring harvest (mid‐April) for industry purpose, the plants are usually left on the fields to senescence and to dry for the low profitability of the crop due to low selling prices .…”

“…20 At the end of spring harvest (mid-April) for industry purpose, the plants are usually left on the fields to senescence and to dry for the low profitability of the crop due to low selling prices. 20 High fertilisers rates are commonly applied by means of a fertigation system and throughout the whole growing season. 21 Therefore, our aim was to investigate the effect that an alternative to conventional cropping system may have on the compositional characteristics of the artichoke heads.…”

“…The autumn–winter production is normally destined for fresh consumption, while that harvested during the spring period is used by the processing industry . At the end of spring harvest (mid‐April) for industry purpose, the plants are usually left on the fields to senescence and to dry for the low profitability of the crop due to low selling prices . High fertilisers rates are commonly applied by means of a fertigation system and throughout the whole growing season .…”

Stable nutrient flows in sustainable and alternative cropping systems of globe artichoke

“…In Sardinia, artichoke is primarily grown as an annual crop allowing growers to reach high economic gains because of earliness and the long productive cycle (from October-November to April, Pisanu et al 2009) through the adoption of forcing technique (summer implantation by dormant offshoots, Ledda et al 2013) and vegetatively propagated varietal types (e.g., "Spinoso Sardo"). The autumn-winter production is destined for fresh consumption, whereas the spring harvest is processed by industry (Sgroi et al 2015). In globe artichoke, head production may vary depending on varietal type, plant density, and duration of the crop cycle but always represents a small part of the total biomass production (Llorach et al 2002), which, at the end of each growing season, is usually grazed or burned .…”