Apple growers in South Tyrol have broken their own records of the last three years by producing more than one million tonnes of apples.
Optimum weather conditions meant that growers were able to keep to the official harvest window.
Paul Zandanel of the Export Organisation South Tyrol from the Bolzano Chamber of Commerce said: “The leaders this season are Golden Delicious, Gala and Red Delicious… South Tyrol will again be able to supply very high-quality produce in 2010.”
However, growers’ associations VI.P and VOG pointed out that the UK is not the strongest market for Italian apples, given the prominence of varieties such as Golden Delicious, which are proving increasingly unpopular on the UK market.
But this has not deterred either body from improving their offer and diversifying into new varieties.
VI.P has introduced Kanzi to its offer this year, starting with 300 tonnes and expecting higher volumes next year.
VI.P marketing manager Michel Grasser told freshinfo: “We want to get the variety up to 3,000t at least, because it fits different markets. Modi works for Italy and Rubens works for Germany, but they are more niche.”
However, VI.P UK area manager Sepp Zöschg added: “The UK is not a very interesting market regarding the price because it asks for the highest quality for maybe the lowest price - in the past, it was more realistic on quality and price.”
VOG chairman Georg Kössler insisted that the season is strong, with higher volumes and better quality.
He told freshinfo: “The UK is always a market of interest but in the last few years it has become less so for reasons of price, specifications and sizes. Pink Lady is our biggest variety for the UK, but we only send two per cent of our total volumes. We want to maintain our market share and increase the tonnage, but we have to have the right products. We have been very satisfied with the UK market.”
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