Marco Eleuteri, commercial director of the group, explains the new products presented on the occasion and to comment about the results achieved during this first three years of activity of the AOP.
FreshPlaza (FP) - What news do you have for Berlin?
Marco Eleuteri (ME) - AOP Armonia exhibits a fairly comprehensive range of products and the various packages available: for example, some new packaging, such as "perfectly ripe" DolceKiwi in a 4 fruit clamshell (photo below left), as well as new products like Kaki (in different packages), a new variety of later clementine and the new girsac band designed for PGI clementines of the Gulf of Taranto (photo below right).
I would say, however, that the real novelty will not be a product or a package in particular, but a concept of identity. I believe that, in order to rejuvenate our industry, we must change our approach to the commercial market, we intend to pursue a policy of brand, dress our fruit and vegetables of a "positive emotionality", making it, in fact, "exciting."
We have identified this "will to excite" as the fundamental concept and the very identity of our premium line of "DolceFrutta" and we've given it a name: SWEETNESS. This will therefore be the most exciting news that our AOP presents in Berlin.
FP - How do you assess the results achieved in the first three years of activity of AOP?
ME - I would say that the results are satisfactory, especially given the brevity of the period in question and the economic environment in which it is very difficult to operate. For us, however, there are still many critical issues to be addressed, first of all, the economic sustainability of agriculture, an issue that is likely to become even more dramatic in an industry where, on one hand, we face an increased pressure from the discount policy by distribution chains and, on the other hand, increased production costs for farmers.
At the moment, we directly produce 95% of what we sell and this, if done with due professional care, is an important competitive advantage that the market in future will more and more recognize. With regard to our business strategy, we are trying to segment our product offerings with the aim to make it as close as possible to the market demands; we have created a commercial line for premium fruit (DolceFrutta) adopted the regional labels (such as PGI Clementine from Gulf of Taranto) and reached agreements with some private labels (with various retailers brands, both Italian and foreign).
FP - How do you judge the results obtained in the past three years by the DolceFragola and DolceKiwi brands?
ME - The most recent data on consumption shows that, in purchase preferences, there is a tendency to extremes towards the lower end and the upper one, at the expense of those who are in the middle. The success of our premium line is an evident confirmation.
Despite the youth of DolceFrutta, we can consider absolutely satisfactory the results achieved to date. Indeed, we have progressively increased its sales by placing the brand firmly in different distribution channels and we have expanded the range of available packages.
The selection of these premium products is addressed to both the large-scale distribution channel with a product mainly packaged, and the traditional market with a packaging that in this last case needs a mostly assisted sale, typical of small retailers and specialty stores.
Photo above: DolceFragola in 500 gr box, below the same in the 30x50 package suitable for an assisted sale by weight.
Needless to say, the product to be marketed in this line must be such as not to betray the 'promise of quality' made in packaging. Through a total control of the production and assistance given to us at all stages of production, storage and packing by agronomists and professionals of primary importance, we can rest assured on that.
Photo above: DolceKiwi in 500 gr, and below the same in the 30x50 package suitable for an assisted sale by weight.
Among the scientific collaboration of excellence we mention the relationship started with Prof. Di Renzo, Professor at the Master of Science in Food Technology at the University of Basilicata, as well as pro-rector of the same. Renzo is one of the greatest Italian experts in the field of conservation and fruit ripening: thanks to his support we hope to identify for each supply the state of maturation of the ideal DolceKiwi so that, in fact, is "perfectly ripe" as reported in the same packages.
Prof. Di Renzo (first on the right), along with an assistant (left) and Paul Mellone, co-chairman of the AOP Armonia.
Visit us at Fruit Logistica 2013, in Hall 4.2, Stand C4.
Contacts:
AOP Armonia
Via Strada Privata Frigotirrena, 1
84091 Battipaglia (SA) - Italy
Ph.: +39 (0)828 316273
Fax: +39 (0)828 316234
Email: info@aoparmonia.it
Web: www.aoparmonia.it
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AOP Armonia is a major producer group in southern Italy. Established in 2009 by the union of two producers organizations - Poma and IdeaNatura - is one of the few virtuous cases of aggregation in the landscape of southern Italian fruit and vegetable production sector, still highly fragmented and disorganized. After the first three years of activity, AOP Armonia has in fact greatly increased the number of farmers associated, as well as the volume of marketed production of fruit and vegetables.
Table - AOP Armonia trend in number of associated firm (purple) and in turnover (blue).
In terms of value, in addition to the strong growth of the citrus fruits segment, Aop Armonia is one of the largest Italian producers of early nectarines, "donut" peaches and strawberries; it is assuming an increasingly important role in the sector of the kiwifruit and organic vegetables. Since last year its assortment includes also kaki.
The distribution of fruit and vegetables occurs mainly in the domestic market, although the share of exports will increase in the coming years, and with regard to the distribution channels, the main one being that of the large-scale distribution, to a lesser extent distributors and traditional markets.