Due to the early start of the harvest, Ambrosia™ apples have been available again on the Italian and European market since the end of September 2022. First, sales of Ambrosia apples from the Rivoira Group in Piedmont, followed by apples from VIP (Association of Val Venosta Producers of Fruit and Vegetables), which were harvested in higher areas a little later.
"We had expected increasing quantities, but due to the summer heat and some hail, this year we are recording a similar harvest quantity to last year: in total, we have around 29,000 tonnes of Ambrosia available. This means that we can guarantee delivery until May 2023 in any case," says Marco Rivoira, Managing Director of the eponymous group of companies.
"The apples are of good quality. In the last days before the harvest, the colouring intensified, so we are satisfied with the quality categories." In Piedmont, the fruit size was slightly smaller than normal, while in Val Venosta it increased by a few millimeters compared to the previous year. Rivoira Group and VIP thus complement each other perfectly in the range and can meet all customer requirements.
"The market launch of Ambrosia traditionally takes place during the Fruit Attraction Fair in Madrid and always meets with great interest from our customers in all major European markets. Consumers now know and appreciate the exceptional taste of Ambrosia. The demand is dynamic and increases from season to season", explains Fabio Zanesco, product manager for managed varieties at VIP. VIP started sorting the apples at the end of September; already 20% of the harvest has been sold to customers in Italy, Germany and Spain, which continue to be the most important sales markets. "Since November we have also been working intensively on marketing the apples to customers in the Middle East and Asia, who are interested in important sales programmes within the next six months. BIO- Ambrosia will also be available to all our customers until January 2023," says Fabio Zanesco.
Rivoira Group and VIP are supporting the retail chains again this year with tasting promotions and equipping the shops with attractive and informative POS materials. "The new season of Ambrosia represents an established and successful positioning of this apple variety", say Marco Rivoira and Fabio Zanesco.
For more information:
Divina Ambrosia
www.divinambrosia.com