VOG ready for final stretch of apple season

It is time for the VOG Consortium to take stock, as the commercial season is coming to an end. From the get go, this has been marked by several critical issues, including a European harvest that has reached record highs, the impact of the Russian embargo on the export of Polish apples and the political and financial instability in North African countries.

These factors, which have kept prices under pressure throughout the season, have motivated the VOG to increasingly set its sights on new markets, such as India and South East Asia.

The starting situation for the consortium of Alto Adige has been slightly different within the European context, kicking off the season with a harvest 10% smaller than that of 2014. The success of sales during the autumn and winter made it possible to reduce stocks, which in early March were 14% lower than in the previous year, allowing them to face the end of the campaign without many concerns.

Another factor has been the weather conditions and low temperatures in spring. "The cool and rainy spring has boosted apple consumption, and the record sales achieved in late April, May and June have made the desired change of direction possible," affirms the director of the consortium, Gerhard Dichgans. "The demand for all red and bicolour varieties, whose marketing ends in late June, has been excellent. The Pink Lady® and Kanzi® have also been sold out a month earlier than last year." The Golden Delicious variety will, as usual, close the season in September, coinciding with the arrival of the new crop of 2016.

"Overall, the development of the 2015-2016 campaign has been similar to that of the previous one. Dichgans points out that while prices have increased slightly, the European market has not yet recovered the balance it had before the embargo. Producers are getting ready for a second bitter season, with prices at or below production costs."

The first forecasts of the new harvest are already appearing. "An early flowering and a good development of the fruit should guarantee a satisfactory harvest for our consortium, greater than that of 2015, but below the record reached in 2014," explains Gerhard Dichgans. Less optimistic is the forecast for Fuji apples, whose orchards are yielding a small production. A big step forward is expected for Club varieties, with significant increases for the Pink Lady®, Kanzi® and Jazz®.

"The average fruit calibres are somewhat larger than those observed in the same period last year. If the weather and summer temperatures are favourable, we could finally face a new season in a more relaxed mood."