In Italy, the first Morgana apples were harvested at the beginning of October. That was at Melinda, Morgana's licensee in that country. Achiel Ryckaert of the ABCz group traveled to the area. He wanted to see the apples on the trees before they were harvested. "Val di Non's climate is proving to be very suitable for growing Morgana. The quality is perfect, and they taste exceptional. That confirms the confidence in this apple variety. Last season, Melinda did commercial tests at several supermarkets in Europe. These showed that people really like the Morgana."
“Consumers are very enthusiastic about this apple. So, the Morgana's payout price is the highest. That's of all the club apple varieties Melinda's affiliated growers cultivate. Morgana trees also bear a lot of fruit. Orchards, in their second year of growth, produce an average of 45 tons. That's of very good quality apples. That's a nice amount for young trees. Melinda and the growers are very optimistic about this development. And acreage expansion will continue steadily."
Krings is the German Morgan license holder. There are positive developments there too. "The Krings company was the first party to see the Morgana's worth. That was partly due to the good results achieved at the Klein Altendorf experimental farm. That's located close to Krings," says Achiel.
"Supermarket demand is growing in Germany, and returns are high. Despite the spring frost the German growers had, production is great. The coloring continued well. That's resulted in farmers picking many Class 1 apples in multiple harvests. Sales are now in full swing, and demand is high."
“In the Netherlands, Veiling Zuid-Limburg holds the Morgana license. In Belgium, it's the Belgische Fruitveiling. This is the first year growers in these two countries are picking Morganas at commercial scales," says Achiel. "There, too, the reports are positive."
"The ABCz Group owns this apple variety. Along with its four partners, this company set up the Morgana Apple Group. This group will further support and develop the apple variety. Outside Europe, Morgana is commercially planted in Australia and South Africa. That shows it has a lot of potential. We'll hear a lot about this apple in the coming years," concludes Achiel.
For more information:
Achiel Ryckaert
Fresh Fruit Service
22 Maagd van Gent
9988, Watervliet, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0) 486 895 702
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.freshfruitservice.com
