“High demand for Lola apples”

The new season for Lola apples is off to a good start. Production this year is likely to reach 700 ton, over twice as much as last season. The Lola brand was added to the Maribelle variety last year. “The first season went very well,” says Mathieu Gremmen of Jabema bv, the company with the exclusive rights to the Lola. “We owe much of the success to this year’s Fruit Logistica in Berlin. Immediately after the Fair there was a tremendous amount of attention. We sold out in April.”

“The quality this year is extremely good,” says Gremmen. “It’s very sweet.” What makes the Lola special is that the apple isn’t greasy, not as vulnerable to infection and has the remarkably high yield of 60 tons per hectare. It is a relatively sturdy apple with an interesting pink color. In Holland, 70 ha. has been devoted to the crop, with another 50 added this year. The crop is tested in Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Chile and Canada.

The Lola has seen a lot of progress in a very short time. This didn’t go unnoticed. During the Business Event in D’n Dulper in Boven Leeuwen Jabema was voted Young Entrepreneur of the Year. “This was a boost for all of us,” says Gremmen. “It tells us we’re on the right track, and also that there’s still room for a new apple on this market.” Mathieu Gremmen adds he wants to involve the consumer even more this season: “We plan to utilize social media, and we developed a QR code, leading customers to a special website. The site will inform consumers about the origin and cultivation of the Lola.”

m.gremmen@agroweb.nl