Association’s new leadership team to guide Italian apple industry through major challenges over next three years
Italian apple association Assomela has re-appointed Ennio Magnani as its president, and elected Vog chair Harald Weis as its new vice-president.
The pair are expected to guide the association through a period of consolidation and expansion during the next three years, with a particular focus on addressing big challenges such as market diversification and increased restrictions on crop protection products.
“I thank the board of directors for renewing their trust in me, demonstrating the strong cohesion and unity of purpose within our world, the organised apple growing system that includes the large cooperatives and companies of Trentino-Alto Adige,” said Magnani, who is also president of Trentino-based cooperative APOT.
“These span Piedmont, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Emilia-Romagna, but work for everyone, even those who voluntarily remain outside the system.”
The Assomela directors thanked their outgoing counterparts – among them Georg Kössler, Rodolfo Brochetti, Luca Rigotti, and Enzo Garnero – for their important work, and welcomed the newly elected members including Weis, Michele Roncador (La Trentina), Eraldo Barale (Joinfruit), and Silvio Canestrini (Mezzacorona).
Weis, who is also president of Vog, Vip, and Vog Products joint venture Alpoma, commented: “Assomela is an integral part of the activities our consortia carry out daily, playing a fundamental role in bringing the needs of our sector to the attention of Italian and European authorities.
“We are facing significant challenges, from the global ones we face due to geopolitical instability, which we are trying to counter by opening new markets, to the challenges in our valleys regarding the availability of plant protection products needed to respect and protect orchards.”
The months ahead are expected to be intense as far as Assomela’s work is concerned, with discussions relating to European policy and production-related challenges requiring work and effort to protect growers’ interests.
Magnani added: “On behalf of the entire board of directors, I once again thank the outgoing directors, with a special thanks to vice-president Kössler for the fundamental work he has done within Assomela over all these years.”
He concluded: “Georg has done much for the associative life of Assomela, helping it establish itself in the most important contexts, from provincial to national and European.”
