With high fruit quality and positive prospects on the various markets, the new harvest of the VOG Consortium’s more than 4,000 apple farmers has got under way in the last few weeks.
According to the forecasts published during the Prognosfruit conference, the Italian crop will total 2.2 million tonnes, a reduction of 3% compared to the previous year. Half of this will be harvested in South Tyrol – Südtirol, with more than 500 thousand tonnes in the Trentino district. However, precise data on the volumes available for the fresh apple market will only come on stream in the next few months. The forecasts confirm stable quantities with all-year-round availability of high quality apples, from the most innovative varieties – able to attract new consumers – to the ever-popular standards like Gala and Granny Smith.
“This is the time when our apple farmers harvest the fruits of a year’s work,” explains VOG CEO Walter Pardatscher, “but it’s also a special year for the Consortium, because we’re celebrating our 80th anniversary, marking a long history of innovation and cooperation that has borne and is still bearing excellent fruit. We’re determined not to rest on our laurels and to ensure we’re constantly ready to tackle the challenges of our sector with swift responses and confidence in the future.”
The new harvest comes at a time when market conditions are fairly favourable to VOG – Home of apples: sales trends in recent months have been decidedly strong, with lower stocks than last year. “We’re happy with the results achieved so far and we can see the market is ready to welcome our apples,” confirms VOG Sales Manager Klaus Hölzl, “so we’re hoping that the 2025/2026 campaign will get off to a good start.”
The prospects area by area
The situation is particularly positive in Italy, the main market of VOG – Home of apples in terms of both volumes and turnover. “Our varietal innovation is bearing fruit. Thanks to new apples like Kanzi®, envy™, Giga® and Cosmic Crisp®, which respond to customers’ and consumers’ demands in terms of both flavour and storage life, we’ve won an impressive market share in the last few years,” Klaus Hölzl explains. “Alongside these, Marlene® is growing in both importance and distribution coverage as a traditional variety brand. From the initial signs on the market, we’re expecting strong demand for the new crop, too.”
VOG has also enjoyed growth in Spain in the last few years, and here, too, it’s forecasting strong, rising demand. “Apart from Italy, today Spain is the biggest market for Marlene®, which is confirming its status as the country’s best-known apple brand,” Klaus Hölzl comments, “and it’s still a very important export destination for us, due to our consolidated partnerships and its geographical closeness.”
Germany will continue to be a significant market, thanks to good levels of apple consumption. The Consortium expects it to be a major, profitable destination again this year.
Exports to non-European countries will retain their important status for the 2025/2026 campaign, as VOG apples are sold on 3 continents and in more than 30 countries outside Europe. “Demand from some areas is already very high, and in general trends are very lively in all the countries where we work,” Klaus Hölzl tells us, “although of course there are challenges arising from the geopolitical situation, which we’ve now been managing in close cooperation with our commercial partners for some time.”
Campaigns to promote the apple category
With the start of the new campaign, VOG – Home of apples is also hard at work on activities to support the apple category through its brands. The Consortium adopts innovative, distinctive marketing and communication tools to engage with consumers and guide them in the discovery of the apple best suited to their needs, values and lifestyles, as befits its role as category leader in the sector. The latest example of this approach was the partnership between Giga® and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products (WBDGCP), which has associated the mighty apple with Superman since June of this year. In the European campaign, Giga® appeared in stores with the new Superman “S-Shield” logo and attractive display units and promotional activities, as well as in cinemas and in promotional events linked to the film.
“The Giga® campaign was a success and enabled the apple to reach out to new consumers, offering them special moments to share with their family or friends,” explained VOG Marketing Manager Hannes Tauber. “It’s an excellent example of the work we’re doing to develop the category, creating innovative actions for the apple sector that convey the different brands’ values in a distinctive, individual, surprising way.”
The first brand to offer new-crop apples for sale will be Marlene®, with the Royal Gala variety ready for sale as we speak. The Daughter of the Alps has turned 30 years of age and is preparing to announce important innovations in the autumn. “The popularity of the Marlene® brand is constantly growing in the countries where it’s present,” declares Hannes Tauber. “According to a market survey we conducted in spring 2025, 9 out of 10 Italians say they recognise the brand. The data also reveal that 87% of consumers expect to purchase Marlene® in the future, a sign of the trust the public continue to place in us. This year the Daughter of the Alps will continue its storytelling about its land of origin, the seasons and the experiences linked to the different apple varieties, in constantly fresh, exciting ways.”
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September will also see the start of the campaign for SweeTango®, the fresh, juicy apple that makes summer last longer. Then it will be the turn of Kanzi®, with its positioning associated with vitality and initiatives addressing a more dynamic public in search of an energy boost. After being the first apple to appear on the runway at Milan Fashion Week, envy™ will be back in October to celebrate apples’ most fashionable side and the sensory pleasure they offer. November will welcome Pink Lady®, an extremely distinctive brand that embodies positive values and feelings.
In addition, this year will see another increase in the availability of Cosmic Crisp®, with marketing combined with events that underline its Heavenly Taste in urban and lifestyle contexts. Greater availability and a longer sales season are also expected for Giga®, the bold apple ready to share its goodness with the world, and RedPop®, the sweet, rebellious apple-shaped snack with a pop soul, perfect for treating yourself to a well-earned special break.
“Our work of “planting, fostering and harvesting” brands able to dialogue with consumers is continuing to prove fruitful,” Hannes Tauber concludes. “So, drawing on feedback from consumers and the invaluable input of our commercial partners, we’re already preparing thrilling projects to support our category during the new campaign!”
