The new Morgana apple was presented to the international press during the Fruit Attraction in Madrid last October. Morgana is a Belgian apple of the Kizuri variety, which was created in Belgium thanks to intense seed improvement work of Better3Fruit in Rillaar. The apple will be launched on the international market on the initiative of ABCz group in Belgium.
This new apple variety is managed by the Morgana Apple Group, or MAG, consisting of the international division of all commercial partners. The MAG Europe, the European branch of the Morgana Apple Group, consists of four partners: Obstbau Vertrieb Krings (Germany), Consortio Melinda (Italy), the Belgische Fruitveiling (Belgium) and Fruitveiling Zuid-Limburg Mergelland (the Netherlands). A partnership with Ceres fruit growers has also been entered into for South Africa, and R&R Smith has acquired the production rights of the Kizuri variety in Australia.
“The Morgana has a high sugar content and is easy to consume,” says Willem Broux of ABCz Group. “It’s an ideal apple for consumers ‘on the move.’ Our target audience is therefore the consumer who is aware of flavour and looking for good-quality products. The crunchy bite with an aroma of tropical and Pith notes would appeal to even the most demanding connoisseurs. The apple contains a lot of vitamin C, is refreshing and thirst-quenching.”
“The Morgana isn’t just unique because of its flavour, but also because of its incredibly good storability. The good firmness and long-term storability make it insensitive to denting, and as a result, it’s suitable for long-lasting transport and easy to sort for the growers. The apple is available year-round as well, so consumers can consume Morgana throughout the year,” Willem continues.
The MAG anticipates about 100,000 new trees in the Netherlands this year, although this amount is still susceptible to change. In Belgium, 40,000 trees are expected to be planted this year. In Germany and Italy, 150,000 trees were planted last year. Towards late 2019, more than 600,000 trees will have been planted in Western Europe, so that a small volume of apples will be available in 2021. The planned plants for this Morgana region will amount to more than 2,400,000 trees by 2030.
“The German Obstbau Vertrieb Krings has already had its first production of Morgana, and it has also been successfully introduced by a number of retailers, including Edeka, Rewe and Aldi.” The familiar production and prices of Morgana are promising for Western European growers. “Retailers position the apple in the higher segment of club varieties,” Willem says.
“Despite the dry weather last summer, more than 75 percent of the harvested fruit has the ideal size, and flavour didn’t suffer from the weather either. The typical tropical and aniseed-like flavour is unique, refreshing and innovative for consumers,” Willem concludes.
More information
willem.Broux@groupmc.be
www.abcz-group.com