Italian companies sign “historic agreement” to market fruit together through Melinda, combining production from two distinct areas to meet growing demand
Two of Italy’s leading fruit marketers, Melinda and Vip, have signed an agreement to sell mountain-grown cherries from the region of Trentino-South Tyrol together, starting in 2026.
As a result, the companies will market cherries together through Melinda, having pooled their respective production and established a new supply chain that prioritises greater commercial efficiency, high quality standards, and guaranteed minimum returns for growers.
According to the two partners, the “historic agreement” brings together two distinct regions for the first time, with the common goal to create new growth opportunities for their members with two complementary crops.
While both Melinda and Vip are better known for apples, cherries have played a significant role in each company’s product portfolio for a long time.
The new venture should enable them to manage larger volumes and more effectively meet the demands of a market that, in recent years, has apparently shown higher demand for the quality and taste of mountain-grown cherries.
“The historic agreement signed with a prestigious company like Vip represents a concrete example of the aggregation strategy that aims to strengthen the agricultural sector by bringing together entities that, despite operating in distinct regions, are united by their production excellence and the solidity of the cooperative model,” said Melinda president Ernesto Seppi.
“Joint work across the supply chain and our commitment to sales now open up new opportunities for valorisation, protection, and promotion of our farmers’ margins. Pooling our skills and professionalism means working with a single goal: protecting and increasing our members’ earnings.”
He added: “We are at a historic moment in which aggregation is not only an opportunity but an urgent necessity, as the market is increasingly organised and distribution is increasingly aggregated.”
Vip president Thomas Oberhofer also welcomed the deal. “The cooperative tradition is a bridge that connects our producers’ association with a key player like Melinda and now allows us to work together to further develop excellent mountain agriculture products, generating tangible results for our members,” he said.
“Today more than ever, collaboration between cooperatives is proving to be an essential tool for addressing the common challenges facing our sector in terms of production and the market.”
