Spain: Excellent business prospects due to lower European apple harvests

Apple production in Europe will return to normal volumes after last year's excess supply, which could help to improve commercial results this season for firms such as IGP Poma de Girona, for which brand promotion and offering good quality are the key priorities, as pointed out by their president, Venanci Grau.

The first estimates for last season pointed to a 4% increase in the Catalan production of fruit and a 22% for Poma de Girona; however, the increase was eventually significantly higher, a staggering 40%, "an exceptional year" according to Venanci Grau, president of Poma de Girona. "This harvest can be considered historic, as the volumes were extraordinary and the quality, too, due to, among other things, to climatological conditions, which were extremely good."

Demand went up despite strong competition with European imports, which did not reach the expected prices.

Regarding exports, they continue to rise every year and the destination countries have been the usual ones. In the following seasons, the firm expects to grow considerably in those countries, as most of them are emerging markets, such as Brazil.

This year, IGP Poma de Girona's harvest has been normal in terms of production, which has helped reducing volumes back to normal levels, steering away from what happened last year. At the same time, smaller harvests are also expected in Europe, which will likely bring a truly satisfactory season concerning quantity and prices.
As promotional activities, IGP Poma de Girona is participating for the third year in a row as official partner of the MICFootball championship, contributing to promote healthy eating among young people. This is also a good brand promotion due to the international impact of the event. Moreover, throughout the year the firm attends professional trade shows and is involved in other sports and cultural events. The next relevant promotional act for Poma de Girona will take place at Fruit Attraction, in Madrid.

"Obviously, it is not an easy moment for quality brands, but despite the economic circumstances, at Poma de Girona we choose to continue striving for great quality and for the promotion of IGP, which is a quality seal that sets our product apart," points out Venanci Grau.

As a new feature at product level, IGP is working on a new production protocol (POM.NET), designed and validated in recent years, which has brought spectacular results in terms of fruit health, surpassing the highest standards in this respect.

Source: Revista Mercados