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After a quiet December, which is typical for this time of year, the marketing of organic apples is gradually picking up speed again at the beginning of the new year. "Demand could currently be a little stronger, but stocks reflect very good product availability," reports Birgit Gutberlett, managing director of ÖKOBO GmbH. However, organic producers on Lake Constance are under pressure in terms of prices. "Prices remain below last year's level, while costs have risen again. In this respect, a price increase in the near future would actually be necessary from our producers' standpoint."
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The current quality of stored apples is consistently good, Gutberlett continues. "On the one hand, we have a relatively high packout or net yield, but on the other hand, because of the weather in 2025, we have a relatively high proportion of smaller fruits. We have found that these smaller apples are very well received by consumers due to their high Brix value and sweet taste. Retail buyers, on the other hand, continue to focus heavily on large fruits."
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Continuous stock reduction
ÖKOBO GmbH has good stocks available, especially of Gala and Pinova. Gutberlett: "We compete strongly with South Tyrol for these two varieties, although local apples are generally preferred. Santana and Boskop have already been cleared at Lake Constance, while Elstar is still available for a short time. Overall, demand was quite high and stable in the first half of the season, especially as regional home gardens produced less fruit. This benefited us accordingly in our marketing."
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Diversity in the organic apple shelf
Parallel to the start of the second half of the season, the brand-new Bio Stars marketing concept was also launched. As a marketing partner, ÖKOBO GmbH is one of the initiators of the new umbrella brand. Initially, the concept will be introduced on a trial basis over six weeks in selected owner-operated markets in southern Germany. "There is already potential for new organic apple varieties. The challenge, however, is to get these unknown varieties listed in stores. This is precisely where this initiative comes in."
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Today, ÖKOBO consists of 22 shareholders who work exclusively according to the strict guidelines of Bioland, Naturland, and Demeter on around 500 hectares of land. Despite omnipresent challenges such as cost increases and climate change, the marketing company continues to record steady growth in volume overall. "However, this is also necessary to continue to meet the growing demand for organic apples. At the variety level, we are particularly trying to increase our harvest volumes of Topaz, while the market for Gala, on the other hand, is rather saturated," she concludes.
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For more information:
Birgit Gutberlett
ÖKOBO GmbH
Eckener Str. 34
88074 Meckenbeuren
Tel: +49 (0)7542 940 8754
[email protected]
www.oekobo.de
