Positive signals for VOG at Berlin
“Fruit Logistica offers a formidable showcase for our products and brands, at an outstandingly important event for the international fruit and vegetable sector. It is also an ideal occasion for developing new relationships with clients and suppliers, to exchange ideas, receive stimuli and consider proposals.” Dichgans continued “This year we took advantage of this vital contact opportunity to establish new commercial relations, especially with operators in the emerging markets of North Africa and the Middle East. Export is one of VOG’s main strong points, and this year we again took advantage of our participation in Fruit Logistica to investigate further new sales possibilities.”
Georg Kossler and Gerhard Dichgans
Similar optimism was expressed by VOG President Georg Kössler, who was extremely upbeat about the Consortium’s participation in the Berlin event: “We sell more than 50% of our apples abroad and consequently it is vital that we exploit occasions like this to improve our understanding of which markets are the most potentially interesting for VOG members’ products.” And added “Furthermore, Fruit Logistica provided us with an opportunity to present our most recent new products to the numerous guests who visited our stand. Here I’m referring particularly to the innovative Club apple varieties such as Kanzi, Modì, Jazz and Rubens, but also to the latest organisational novelties introduced as part of VOG’s new strategy, launched in 2010.
These changes have made it possible for us to take major strides forward in the quality of the service that we are able to offer our customers.”Consortium Director Gerhard Dichgans was also one of the speakers in the conference event devoted to “International perspectives from a Regional point of view”, which took place on Friday 10 February as part of the Fruit Logistica event.
In his speech Dichgans described the birth of the umbrella trade mark for South Tyrolean apples and underlined the fact that consumer preference for products with clear regional connotations is an established long-term trend. “In 10 years’ time we will have a Europe made up of Regions – explained the VOG director – and territorially orientated brands will play a highly significant role.” The VOG Consortium, together with other associations of South Tyrolean fruit and vegetable producers, was a guest of the exhibition area created by the South Tyrolean Export Organisation – EOS run by the Bolzano Chamber of Commerce. In this large collective stand, featuring impressive giant images of the region’s fruit and vegetable products and the landscapes where they grow, the numerous visitors were greeted by a warmly typical South Tyrol atmosphere.