VOG Consortium has predicted that there will be a slightly smaller crop but with an increase in most innovative varieties and organic output in the 2022/23 apple seas
Having begun with the picking of the first Royal Gala apples in mid August, the campaign will cover all 12 months of the year with a quality product.
Table apple quantities forecast for integrated production are slightly below 450,000 tonnes, a drop of 3.5% compared to the previous season. Alongside this, the estimate of organic output is sharply higher (+15%) at over 35,000 tonnes, thanks to the new orchards planted in the last few years. The data reflect the estimates forecast for the South Tyrol - Südtirol, where production will fall by 3%.
With regard to varieties, there is a sharp reduction in Royal Gala (-15%) due to the heavy spring drop. Granny Smith returns to normal levels after last year’s poor crop, while quantities of all the other traditional apples decrease as a consequence of the variety renewal launched by the Consortium in recent years.
The variety plans are also leading to large increases for the new brands and the contract varieties, such as Pink Lady, Kanzi, envy, yello, Joya, Crimson Snow and SweeTango. The growth in the latest new apples launched by VOG also continues: output of Gig will double to over 4,000 tonnes, RedPop will rise to almost 3,000 and Cosmic Crisp will increase to 3,500.
Klaus Hölzl, sales manager of VOG, commented, “Various factors will affect the European market at the start of the season. In Europe, we are witnessing weaker demand due to a drop in consumption, while some markets, such as the German one, still have inventories from last year. What’s more, imports from the southern hemisphere have not yet dried up.”
Hölzl added, “Thanks to our variety projects, we have a rich assortment of apples and so we can guarantee our customers quality fruit for 12 months. We are confident that this strength will enable us to overcome the situation, which however is still difficult for our growers.”
With effect from the 2022/2023 season, the VOG Consortium is presenting itself to the market under the new Home of apples concept.
“Home of apples is not just a rebranding operation: it is a manifesto of our values and the way we operate,” explained VOG CEO Walter Pardatscher. “We account for 6% of total European output and 32% of that of Italy and are present on 75 international markets, so we are the partner of choice for building a complete, modern apple assortment grown by both integrated production and organic methods. At the start of a season with many challenges and criticalities, this position is a source of strength, but also implies great responsibilities. We have to keep on making every effort to create value throughout the production chain, starting from our members.”
