During the Fruit Logistica, Van Kessel Fruit was presented as the new partner for Evelina in the Netherlands, with great celebration. According to Jacco van Kessel, the Netherlands has always been a somewhat unexplored territory for this Pinova mutation, but according to the fruit trader, this will change in the coming years.
"We have been a 'broker' on the Dutch market for a year now, but are only really starting now that we are selling the October 2019 harvest," says Jacco. "The great thing is that we have brought in a proven variety with the Evelina. We are taking over the sales of the existing growers with a combined area of 15 hectares, next spring another 10 hectares will be added and ultimately we intend to expand the Dutch area to a few dozen hectares. "
At the same time asVan Kessel, Landgard was presented as a partner on the German market
"Last week we provided the first stores with Evelina apples. It is a new area for us. Although we already sell a lot of apples and pears, this is the first time that we have been in charge of selling a club concept", Jacco says. "We will therefore invest heavily in this variety, albeit with the limitation that the volume is not yet large enough for us to serve everyone."
"With the Evelina we are responding to the increasing demand for hard, sweet apples. The Evelina has already proven itself in other European countries, as the variety was discovered at a German fruit company in 2000. The Netherlands was somewhat blinkered to it and it is it is up to us to change that ", says Jacco, who expects the price level to be below the price of the Pink Lady due to the introduction.
Jacco van Kessel
According to Jacco, when asked about his expectation of the follow-up to the apple market, it will largely determine how demand from Germany and Eastern European countries will develop. "That will determine whether the price stays at this level or whether we can achieve an increase. Only Dutch demand is insufficient for this. The advantage is that the quality of the apples is good. Parties with defects are now off the market and that offers perspective."
For more information:
Jacco van Kessel 
Van Kessel Fruit
T +31 (0) 418 63 12 31
E jaccovankessel@vankesselfruit.nl
I www.vankesselfruit.nl