Pink Lady apple exports to the UK from South Tyrol are set to rise this season following a vintage year in 2005, according to Gerhard Dichgans, managing director at the Association of South Tyrolean Fruit Growers’ Co-operatives (VOG).
The total Pink Lady crop produced by VOG will be up five to seven per cent on 2005 at around 24,000 tonnes.
Shipments to the UK are due to start this week.
Dichgans said this season’s South Tyrolean crop looks promising. He added: “The cold weather that we have had in South Tyrol from November 1 has meant that we have got good coloration, as good as it was last year.
“We managed to pick the whole crop within the two-week picking window last year and, if we finish picking this weekend, we will achieve this again this season.
Maintaining good relationships with UK retailers is key to supplying Pink Lady apples, according to Dichgans.
He said: “Pink Lady is one of the big five varieties in the UK and this means that our relationship with UK category managers is very important.
“The UK market is built around co-operation between suppliers and category managers, and we have been working to build up trust.”
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