Val Venosta mountains apples

Further details have emerged about the Italian apple industry's major new initiative to promote its products outside Europe as it bids to increase the proportion of fruit it sells on the export market.

At a press conference held in Bolzano, the new From project – including a new logo – was presented to journalists, while an international launch event is due to take place on 17 September at the World Food Moscow trade fair.

The From logo is expected to be used by all companies involved in the project to market apples sold in all non-European countries, a major shift in marketing policy away from the multilateral approach adopted by the industry in previous years.

According to industry insiders, Russia is being seen as the primary target for the new brand, although the Italian apple industry at large is known to be looking to extend its reach into other emerging markets such as the Middle East, India and North America.

'The objective is to be able to export at least half of all the apple production in Trentino and South Tyrol,' quoted local newspaper the Alto Adige. 'This will not be just in traditional markets but through conquering new areas of increasing prosperity.'

The five companies involved in the From project, which represent the majority of apple production in the regions of Trentino and South Tyrol, are: VOG, VI.P, Melinda, La Trentina and VOG Products.

Those attending this week's press launch heard how the decision to name the brand 'From' is intended to raise the question of provenance in the minds of customers.

'That's what we hope the Russian consumers will ask themselves when they see the From label,' said Melinda director Luca Granata.

South Tyrol's Minister of Agriculture Hans Berger said the adoption of a unified strategy on the part of the two regions' apple exporters would be 'to the benefit of the more than 14,000 growers in Trentino-South Tyrol'.

His Trentino-based counterpart Tiziano Mellarini said he hoped the new brand would also generate greater interest in the regions as tourist destinations.