Assofrutti
Assofrutti is an Italian hazelnut Producer Organization founded in 1990, aggregating over 1,000 member growers across 10,000+ hectares in Lazio to provide collective sales, agronomic services, weather monitoring, and B2B supply to food industry buyers including Ferrero.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersCaprarola, Italy
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Assofrutti does
Assofrutti is a hazelnut Producer Organization (OP) founded in 1990 and headquartered in Caprarola, in the Tuscia area of Lazio, Italy. The company aggregates production from over 1,000 member growers — both individual farmers and three affiliated cooperatives (Saivconger Cimini, Assonovit, Marroni Cimini) — cultivating more than 10,000 hectares and representing approximately 30% of Italian hazelnut output. Its core commercial offering is hazelnut production and sales across in-shell, shelled, roasted, and organic varieties, complemented by member services including free agronomic assistance from six dedicated agronomists, a 22-station agro-meteorological monitoring network, a chemical/microbiological laboratory, a catastrophic insurance program (PIU' VALORE), and agricultural waste collection. B2B supply is anchored by a relationship with Ferrero Hazelnut Company through organized filiera projects, with additional revenue from two owned retail storefronts (Caprarola and Sutri).
The underlying technology stack combines precision agriculture hardware and applied data analytics. Demonstrated capabilities include DJI Agras drones for phytosanitary treatments, PTX Trimble automatic tractor guidance, TETHYS AQUA smart irrigation, photovoltaic installations (200 kW at Caprarola, 50 kW at Soriano nel Cimino), and exoskeletons for pruning. Data from the weather network, soil moisture sensors, and a dedicated mobile APP feed predictive models for integrated pest management under the AW-IPM framework, formalized in the AI-NUT initiative launched in November 2024. Assofrutti recognized as Italy's first transnational Producer Organization in the shell fruit sector in July 2021.
The business model is multi-stream: transaction revenue from hazelnut sales (in-shell, shelled, roasted, organic) through retail and B2B channels; recurring subscription-style fees and discounted services for members (10% off laboratory analyses, 50% off selected equipment, 50% reduction in waste collection transport costs from €60 to €30); and managed services revenue from European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) grants channeled through PSR Lazio programs, including over €1 million secured under Measure 16.10. The company is structured as an SRL under Italian law, owned and governed by its member producers without external parent or private equity backing, led by President Pompeo Mascagna (since 1999) and Technical Manager Francesco Ciccarella.
Assofrutti firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Assofrutti
- Legal name
- Assofrutti SRL
- Website
- https://assofrutti.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Assofrutti is an Italian hazelnut Producer Organization founded in 1990, aggregating over 1,000 member growers across 10,000+ hectares in Lazio to provide collective sales, agronomic services, weather monitoring, and B2B supply to food industry buyers including Ferrero.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Assofrutti industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hazelnut Production
- SIC
- Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Farm Management & Decision Support Software (FMIS, ERP, Recordkeeping) (AFAGALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Farm Technology Enablement & Data Integration Advisory (FMIS/ERP, IoT, Decision Support) (AFACAJAG), Soil Health & Regenerative Agronomy Consulting (AFACABAA)
Keywords
Where Assofrutti is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Caprarola
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Assofrutti business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Hazelnut Production and Sales: Assofrutti aggregates hazelnut production from over 1,000 member growers across Lazio, operating processing facilities and selling products including in-shell, shelled, and roasted hazelnuts (conventional and organic) through retail outlets and B2B channels
- Member Services and Fees: Association fees and charges for services provided to members including laboratory analyses, insurance policies, and agricultural waste collection with negotiated discounts
- Government/PSR Funding: European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) funding through PSR Lazio programs, including Measure 16.10 for organized supply chain projects
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Laboratory Analysis - 10% discount for members |
| Freemium | Annual | Agronomic Technical Assistance - Free for members |
| Subscription | Annual | Selected Equipment - 50% discount for members |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Agricultural Waste Collection Transport - Reduced from €60 to €30 for members |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Assofrutti product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Assofrutti is a producer organization that aggregates hazelnut production from over 1,000 member growers across the Lazio region of Italy, processing and selling conventional and organic hazelnuts in shell, shelled, and roasted formats. The organization also provides member services including free agronomic technical assistance, agro-meteorological weather monitoring through a 22-station network, chemical and microbiological laboratory analysis, catastrophic insurance support, and agricultural waste collection.
Product overview
Assofrutti is a Producer Organization (OP) for shell fruit, primarily focused on hazelnut (nocciola) production in the Lazio region of Italy. Founded in 1990, it operates a unified structure combining product sales with member services. The core product portfolio includes hazelnuts in shell, shelled hazelnuts, roasted hazelnuts, and organic varieties. Services include free agronomic assistance, agrometeo weather monitoring, chemical analysis laboratory, catastrophic insurance, and agricultural waste collection. The organization also provides a member portal for accessing prices, bulletins, and forms. Assofrutti has achieved recognition as the first transnational Producer Organization (OP) in Italian shell fruit sector.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Nocciole in Guscio (In-shell Hazelnuts) Conventional hazelnuts sold in their natural shell, aggregated from over 1,000 member growers in the Lazio region and sold through retail stores and B2B supply chains.
- Nocciole Sgusciate (Shelled Hazelnuts) Shelled hazelnuts processed and prepared for industrial food-manufacturing customers and retail buyers; produced from member-grower hazelnuts aggregated by Assofrutti.
- Nocciole Tostate (Roasted Hazelnuts) Value-added roasted hazelnuts prepared for direct consumer sales via Assofrutti's own retail storefronts and channels.
- Nocciole Biologiche (Organic Hazelnuts) Certified organic hazelnuts available in shell, shelled, and roasted varieties, produced by member growers operating under organic farming standards.
- Assistenza Agronomica Gratuita (Free Agronomic Assistance) Free agronomic technical assistance delivered to member farms by a team of six agronomists, both at the technical office in Caprarola and directly in the field, supporting sustainable practices and advanced cultivation techniques.
- Servizio Agrometeo (Agro-meteorological Monitoring Service) Daily agro-meteorological bulletins and real-time monitoring delivered through a network of 22 weather stations distributed across hazelnut-growing areas, supporting crop monitoring, forecasting, and integrated pest management decisions for members.
- Laboratorio Analisi Chimico/Microbiologico (Chemical/Microbiological Analysis Laboratory) Chemical and microbiological analysis laboratory providing water analysis (including arsenic and fluorides) and comprehensive soil chemical analyses for member farms, with a 10% member discount.
- Polizza Catastrofale (Catastrophic Insurance Program) Catastrophic insurance coverage and risk-prevention program offered to member producers at preferential negotiated rates, including risk education and prevention services under the PIU' VALORE project.
- Azione Doppia Raccolta (Double Harvest Delivery Service) Double-harvest delivery service allowing members to deliver fresh hazelnuts first and then dried hazelnuts, with flexible delivery percentages between 30% and 90%, supporting members' cash flow and processing flexibility.
- Raccolta Rifiuti Agricoli (Agricultural Waste Collection) Agricultural waste collection service covering phytopharmaceutical containers, waste oil, filters, and batteries, provided through partnership with S.A.A. Srl at a 50% reduced transport cost for members (€30 vs. €60 standard).
- Area Soci (Member Portal) Reserved online member portal providing access to current hazelnut prices, agro-meteorological and phytosanitary bulletins, downloadable forms, and member communications.
Companies that use Assofrutti
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Assofrutti technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature8 records
Assofrutti partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Saivconger CiminicoreAgricultural cooperative affiliated with Assofrutti, representing grouped hazelnut growers. As one of three member cooperatives, it channels production through the association's collective sales and processing infrastructure.
- AssonovitcoreAgricultural cooperative affiliated with Assofrutti as one of the three member cooperatives in the Lazio region.
- Marroni CiminicoreAgricultural cooperative affiliated with Assofrutti, representing chestnut and hazelnut producers in the Cimini area.
- Coldiretti ViterbocoreMajor partnership signed May 2020 for managing farm files (fascicoli aziendali) of over 700 member companies through Coldiretti CAA. Includes joint initiatives on traceability, sustainable cultivation, and technical field assistance.
- Ferrero Hazelnut CompanycoreLeading confectionery company engaged in sustainability and traceability courses for hazelnut suppliers, and organized filiera projects connecting producers to processor requirements.
- S.A.A. SrlminorAgricultural services company providing waste collection services at Assofrutti facilities under negotiated convention with 50% transport cost reduction for members.
- Manini PrefabbricatiminorConstruction company contracted to build new multi-story prefabricated facility of approximately 9,000 sqm at Assofrutti headquarters.
- Asta (Associazione spontanea per la tutela degli agricoltori)minorSpontaneous association for agricultural protection collaborating on legal action against defamatory media coverage regarding hazelnut cultivation.
- Ecolazio CooperativeminorAgricultural cooperative participating in joint legal action and organized filiera projects.
- Romanian Hazelnut ProducerscoreAs part of the first transnational producer organization status (2021), Romanian hazelnut producers join Italian members enabling cross-border supply chain development.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Assofrutti competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Coldiretti: Italy's largest agricultural association and Assofrutti's core institutional partner (2020 CAA agreement covering 700+ member files). Comparable as a producer-representation entity serving the same Italian smallholder base with overlapping member services and policy advocacy.
- Ferrero Hazelnut Company: The world's largest industrial hazelnut buyer and Assofrutti's most strategic commercial partner via filiera projects. Comparable because it operates across the same Italian hazelnut value chain — same crop, same regional suppliers — and shapes processor-grade demand, quality and traceability standards for the entire category.
- Confagricoltura: Italy's historic agricultural employer association representing farm operators nationally. Comparable on member representation, lobbying, and technical services to agricultural producers — a broader incumbent serving the same constituency as Assofrutti.
- Syngenta Italia: Global crop-input and seed company collaborating with Assofrutti on drone and phytosanitary demonstrations. Comparable as a provider of agricultural inputs and sustainability/precision-agriculture services targeting the same Italian grower base.
Direct peers
- Apofruit Italia: Italian producer cooperative aggregating fruit and nut growers with B2B and retail marketing infrastructure. Directly comparable cooperative model, multi-producer aggregation, and supply-chain representation for Italian specialty crops.
- Fiskobirlik (Turkish Hazelnut Cooperatives Union): Turkey's national hazelnut cooperative, aggregating thousands of producers and supplying the global market. Directly comparable in cooperative structure, member aggregation model, and hazelnut focus — and the principal foreign competitor whose volumes Assofrutti has actively opposed at MIPAF.
Regional players
- Consorzio Tutela Nocciola Piemonte IGP: Protection consortium for Piedmont-grown Tonda Gentile hazelnuts. Directly comparable single-commodity hazelnut consortium serving Italian growers but operating in a different region (Piedmont vs. Lazio) and focused on IGP certification rather than production services.
- Hazelnut Growers of Oregon: U.S. grower-owned hazelnut cooperative representing Oregon producers. Directly comparable as a producer organization for hazelnuts — same commodity, same member-aggregation model — but operating in a different geography (U.S. Pacific Northwest vs. Italian Lazio).
Emerging players
- xFarm Technologies: Italian AgTech company providing farm management software, IoT sensors and decision-support tools. Overlaps with Assofrutti on precision agriculture technology (FMIS, sensors, weather, IoT) for Italian crop producers and is a plausible substitute vendor for the same member services.
Others
- DNV-GL (now DNV): International certification body collaborating with Assofrutti on hazelnut sustainability and traceability training. Indirectly comparable as an enabler of the premium/sustainability positioning Assofrutti is commercializing through its member services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Assofrutti social profiles
Digital presenceAssofrutti compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Assofrutti financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Assofrutti leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Assofrutti subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Assofrutti funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Assofrutti M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Assofrutti
What does Assofrutti do?
Assofrutti is a producer organization that aggregates hazelnut production from over 1,000 member growers across the Lazio region of Italy, processing and selling conventional and organic hazelnuts in shell, shelled, and roasted formats. The organization also provides member services including free agronomic technical assistance, agro-meteorological weather monitoring through a 22-station network, chemical and microbiological laboratory analysis, catastrophic insurance support, and agricultural waste collection.
Is Assofrutti a public or private company?
Assofrutti is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Assofrutti founded?
Assofrutti was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Assofrutti based?
Assofrutti is headquartered in Caprarola, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does Assofrutti make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hazelnut Production and Sales are the primary driver. The others are member Services and Fees and government/PSR Funding.
Who are Assofrutti's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Coldiretti, Ferrero Hazelnut Company, Confagricoltura and Syngenta Italia. Direct peers are Apofruit Italia and Fiskobirlik (Turkish Hazelnut Cooperatives Union). Regional players are Consorzio Tutela Nocciola Piemonte IGP and Hazelnut Growers of Oregon. xFarm Technologies is listed as an emerging player. DNV-GL (now DNV) is listed as an others.
Does Assofrutti have an API?
No public API is recorded for Assofrutti.
What industry is Assofrutti in?
Assofrutti's product category is Hazelnut Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAGALAA, Farm Management & Decision Support Software (FMIS, ERP, Recordkeeping), with a secondary code of AFACAJAG, Farm Technology Enablement & Data Integration Advisory (FMIS/ERP, IoT, Decision Support). Its SIC code is 100.