The German apple harvest is now behind us, and retailers are cautiously taking stock. "The harvest at Lake Constance is lower than last year, but still within the average range," reports Michael Koch, pome fruit expert at the Karlsruhe Wholesale Market company Rolf Koch GmbH. "The first phase of the season is usually a little more difficult in terms of marketing, as the quantities from regional orchards and smaller producers without long-term storage are flooding the market. From the turn of the year, demand gradually increases and marketing usually gains a little more momentum."
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Michael Koch shows a crate of St. Nicholas and Christmas apples from South Tyrol
Rolf Koch GmbH is primarily dedicated to the procurement and marketing of regional Lake Constance apples and imported goods from South Tyrol. "My father basically built up the business with apples, and the product range has gradually developed on this basis. In this respect, apples are the roots of our company," Koch points out. However, regional apples from the Baden area mark the start of the season and are primarily sourced through the OGA-OGV in Bruchsal. "We already have plenty of summer apples available from August, and this year, even a little earlier than usual. These are only traded in full for two months, until the complete range of Lake Constance apples is available from October."
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Kissabel from Lake Constance
Koch currently offers the popular St. Nicholas apple, among others. "This is the Star King variety, a mutant of the Red Delicious, which is characterized by its smooth skin with natural wax and is mainly traded as a decorative item. It is only available for a short time and is particularly popular at weekly markets from mid-November onwards. After St. Nicholas Day until Christmas, the variety is then marketed as a Christmas apple."
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Fräulein continues to gain in importance. Prices for German apples are on average around 10-15 per cent below last year's level, with no significant outliers.
Fräulein gains market share
Furthermore, the club variety Fräulein has been on offer for three years now and has gained significant importance in the Lake Constance region. Koch: "The variety has established itself particularly well at weekly markets and is now part of our basic range. The only problem is its pressure sensitivity, which leads to increased rejects, especially towards the end of the season. Nevertheless, there was good availability in terms of quantity in the past season until April/May."
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SweeTango and Ambrosia
The apple sector is constantly changing, and Rolf Koch GmbH's product range is also continuously adapted to changing customer needs. "Cosmic Crisp from South Tyrol has proven to be a good addition to our product range since January, but Ambrosia has not caught on. Kissabell has also been gaining more and more attention in recent years: we usually take a two-pronged approach with this variety and offer both regional and South Tyrolean produce. The same applies to SweeTango, which has stabilized at a steady level after the hype a few years ago. Meanwhile, there are also varieties that have almost disappeared from the market, such as Idared and Gloster. I also take a rather critical view of the regional cultivation of Rubinette and even Golden Delicious, considering climate change."
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.com
Baden pears
Prices for Italian Abate Fetel have risen
In addition to apples, the entire range of European pears is now also available. The Conference and Comice varieties are primarily offered from the Netherlands, while the Novembra variety, among others, is sourced from the surrounding Baden region. According to Koch, regionally grown pears are only available for a short time and will be available until the end of the year at the latest. Furthermore, the company is primarily focused on the distribution of Italian loads. "We offer four varieties, namely Abate Fetel, Williams green and red, and Santa Maria. Although Abate Fetel is still considered the flagship of the Italian pear industry, prices have risen dramatically in recent years, which in turn is due to yield losses. The green variety continues to dominate the Williams market, although prices are almost the same. Meanwhile, Santa Maria is clearly the favorite among catering customers."
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.com
Aate Fetel of Italian origin
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.com
Williams red and green
For more information:
Michael Koch
Rolf Koch GmbH - Fruchtprofis Karlsruhe
Großmarkt Karlsruhe - Box 20, 58-60
Tel: 0049 (0) 721-614319
[email protected]
www.fruchtprofis-ka.de
