VOG Consortium has forecast a slightly smaller apple crop with an increase in innovative varieties and organic output for the 2022/2023 season.
Table apple quantities forecast for integrated production are slightly below 450,000 tonnes, a drop of 3.5% compared to the previous season.
Organic apple output is expected to increase sharply (+15%) at over 35,000 tonnes, thanks to new orchards planted in the last few years.
The data reflects estimates forecast for South Tyrol, where production will fall by 3%.
In terms of varieties, a steep decline in Royal Gala (-15%) was seen due to the heavy spring drop.
Granny Smith returned to normal levels after last year’s poor crop, while quantities of all the other traditional apples decreased.
The variety projects are also leading to large increases for new brands and contract varieties, such as Pink Lady® (+15%), Kanzi® (+11%), envy™ (+35%), yello® (+32%), Joya® (+74%), Crimson Snow® (+40%) and SweeTango® (+32%).
The growth in new apple varieties launched by VOG also continues: output of Giga® will double to over 4,000 tonnes, RedPop® will rise to almost 3,000 tonnes (+40%) and Cosmic Crisp® will increase to 3,500 tonnes.
At the European level, a slight increase in production is forecast, with a total of about 12.17 million tonnes. This figure is higher than in the last few years, but well below the record crop of 2018.
In Italy, the situation is similar, with output predicted to exceed two million tonnes. A larger crop is also expected in the main European production areas, such as France, Germany and Poland.
Klaus Hölzl, sales manager of VOG, said, “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.”
A Benchmark For Apple Trade
Effective from the 2022/2023 season, the VOG Consortium is presenting itself to the market under the new 'Home of apples' concept.
VOG is the home where customers can find the best apples for every need and meet the apple experts.
It is an organisation based on five factors: origin, expertise, sustainability, and products and brands.
“Home of apples is not just a rebranding operation: it is a manifesto of our values and the way we operate,” VOG CEO Walter Pardatscher (pictured above) said.
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