The consortium is ready to face up to the new challenges of the current campaign, marked by a consumption that is not taking off in all the destinations, changing geopolitical difficulties and an increase in production from outside Europe.
According to the European production forecasts, South Tyrol is in a good position, in spite of the generalised drop in volumes. In fact, a very small drop has been recorded in the amounts of eating apples compared to the total. And in qualitative terms, they bring together all the requirements to satisfy both consumers and markets.
“There are many challenges and there are several factors that are still unforeseeable, such as geopolitical crises and production volumes from outside Europe. We are certainly starting off in a good position, from which it will be important to maintain our promise of quality,” Klaus Hölzl, the Sales Manager at VOG, comments.
Thanks to the good sales behaviour in the spring and summer months, the consortium maintained its privileged position on the market and reached its sales targets. Regarding exports, they grew on the markets outside Europe, particularly in South and Central America.
The European markets
VOG’s main market showed a highly dynamic behaviour over last year as a whole. “On the Italian market we have managed to increase sales, particularly with our brand Marlene®, Daughter of the Alps, but also with apples such as Pink Lady®, Kanzi® and Envy™ and we have had very good results for CosmicCrisp®, RedPop® and Giga®, Hölzl remarks.
Given its proximity, Spain is an important market for VOG. It is a particularly relevant for Marlene® and Kanzi®, but interest is also growing for the new proposals such as Envy™, Crimson Snow® and CosmicCrisp®.
Germany was seen to be a complicated market in the 2023/2024 season due to the important competition from other European countries. The season that has just started should open up new possibilities for VOG, thanks to reduced competition and to the guaranteed availability throughout the entire year, including ecological produce.
The markets outside Europe
In spite of the difficult international situation, non-European markets such as the Middle East and South America have experienced an important growth in recent years. “Market diversification is one of our strong points,” Hölzl explains, “as it allows us to take the apples to new lands and to meet the needs of consumers from different parts of the world.”
Brand strategies
The Marlene® is the first campaign to start up, a brand that is celebrating its 30 year anniversary. To attract consumers, the Daughter of the Alps will continue its story about the origin, the culture and the gustatory world of its varieties. If the invitation to the culinary experience stimulated consumers to explore the gourmet side of the apple, the new season will amplify the inspiration even more by celebrating the art of the apple.
“The connecting thread that brings together all our brands is the concept that an apple is something more than a fruit: it is a way of expressing values and lifestyles. For this reason, the constant dialogue with the consumers is essential in order to face up to the challenges of a complicated and ever-changing market,” concludes Hannes Tauber, the consortium’s marketing manager.
