The excellent quality of the fruit and a dynamic start to the campaign marked the first commercial operations of the Italian consortium.
In an optimistic tone, the executive from the Italian Consortium, Gerhard Dichgans, believes that there will be top quality apples available and a start to the campaign with important activity. “A campaign that could have been difficult, but which will bring new opportunities with it”, he explains.
Alto Adige will once again reach the threshold of one million tonnes. Specifically, VOG is predicting a 3% increase, with slightly more for the varieties Gala, Red and Braeburn. The Golden variety is maintaining the level it reached last year, whilst Granny will drop by 6% in production. The Fuji is rocking the trend and recording a 14% drop, way below last year’s figures. Regarding the Club apples, after a rather unfavourable campaign in 2015, a full harvest is being announced.
The 2016 harvest is foreseen to have greater quality than the previous year, as it has not had to bear the high temperatures that peaked in the summer of 2015. The apples are showing good quality and consistency, a fact that means excellent shelf life can be predicted.
“The demand for fresh apples at the beginning of the season is high. After a campaign which in many aspects disappointed both consumers and customers, Dichgans explains, this year we have fruit with excellent quality available. Additionally, the delay in the Northern European harvest will allow the apples from Alto Adige to gain ground on the market over the next few weeks.”
“This year, once again, Poland’s record harvest becomes a critical factor, both for the Poles themselves and for the producers from Western Europe, who will suffer from price pressures. All of this with the confirmation of the Russian embargo and the financial crisis of some of the main importing countries from Northern Africa.” Furthermore, the euro-dollar exchange rate is encouraging exports to the markets in the Mediterranean basin and on the other side of the pond. In recent years, these countries have become strategic markets for apples from the Alto Adige region.
The new Club apple harvest bodes well for a good harvest. “With Jazz®, Pink Lady® and Kanzi® last year we closed the season a month earlier than expected, Dichgans concludes. This year we can guarantee the volumes to our clients along with a season that can be planned. The VOG Consortium has also doubled its harvest volume for Envy®. This variety was presented for the first time last year in Italy and in Spain and it was very successful. So much so that today clients are already asking when they will be able to make their first orders.”
Summary of the previous campaign During the 2015-2016 season, VOG marketed a total of 520,000 tonnes of apples, a drop compared to the 597,000 tonnes from the previous year. The increase in revenue for sales did not compensate the decrease in volume; therefore the invoicing was slightly lower than the previous year.
“For our producers it has been the second year running when the prices paid for the standard varieties have been disappointing, in some cases these even being less than the production costs, Dichgans continues. Only Club apples and the bio varieties have overcome this negative trend. In such a way that during the sale months an increase in demand was recorded, ending the season earlier than expected”. On the other hand, the lack of stock of Golden marked a fluidity on the market.
In addition, the markets from Northern Africa and the Arabian Mainland suffered from difficulties during the winter and the spring that had direct negative consequences on the Consortium’s marketing.
