In Italy the most widely grown variety is "Tipo" (PCA) and some other varieties in smaller quantities. Italy used to be the largest kaki exporting country in Europe but export has diminished significantly due to the success of the Spanish kaki export. This drop in export is entirely due to the fact that until now Italian kakis are not CO2 treated and thus can only be eaten after they have turned soft. Italy has recently developed a CO2 treatment procedure that can be used on the Tipo variety but it is not commonly used yet. This might help in regaining part of the export in the future.