After a difficult start due to declining European consumption and strong international competition, there are glimmers of optimism for the rest of the 2022/2023 apple season. This is the assessment outlined by the VOG Consortium at Fruit Logistica, the international fruit and vegetable fair in Berlin.
“The context in which we are operating has become increasingly complex, but we are facing it with a strong and united organization that allows us to look to the future with confidence,” comments Walter Pardatscher, CEO of VOG. “In the future, the strategic development of the varietal assortment will play a major role in order to continue to cover all the needs of the different markets with high-quality products all year round.”
While the first few months of the campaign have been characterized by oversupply and severe price pressure, the European stock situation in Europe as of December 1 offers positive signs. The current stock is 4.4 million tons, 430,000 tons less than in 2021 and 100,000 tons less than in 2020.
“The European estimates bode well,” explains Klaus Hölzl, Sales Manager at VOG. “In these weeks we should see a balancing of the supply-demand ratio, resulting in a stabilization of prices. We will have to wait until at least spring for a trend reversal, although the unknown factor related to consumption in Europe remains.”
In terms of markets, VOG reaffirmed its position in Italy, increasing its sales in large-scale distribution. With regard to exports, trade policies in central and northern European countries have led to a shift in volumes to Spain, the Arab world, South America and Asia. On the Asian continent, the Consortium’s apples made their debut in Taiwan in late December under the Marlene®, Pink Lady® and RedPop® brands.
“Our presence in more than 70 European and extra-European markets is a strength in the current scenario,” Hölzl further comments, “because it has enabled us to market the volumes we had planned, albeit with different sizes and qualities than we had anticipated, given the shift to countries with different preferences.”
Giga by Marlene hits markets
A new sales season for Giga® by Marlene®, the large apple that is perfect for sharing, produced and marketed by the VOG Consortium. With a harvest of 4,250 tons from integrated production and 160 tons from organic, quantities of the new apple are double those of last year and it is now available in all VOG markets, with a focus on Southern Europe.
For more information:
VOG Consortium of South Tyrolean 
Fruit Growers Cooperatives coop. soc. agr.
Jakobistraße 1/a
39018 Terlano (South Tyrol)
Tel. +39 0471 256 700
Fax +39 0471 256 699
info@vog.it
info@pec.vog.it