Kurt Ratschiller, sales manager of VIP is aware of the dynamics of the Apple market effectively and gives a concise and comprehensive overview of the present situation as well as the future outlook. The growth rate is 8% of Italian apple production in comparison to 2023 according to data provided by Assomela Ratschiller, he explains the fact that “this season has a distinct character from the last”.

“European stocks were completely exhausted during this past season, something that is not often the case, which is why we were off to an impressive start to fall. After that, however, the market slowed and then re-emerged in spring. However stocks weren’t completely completed at the start of the season therefore, the market began as usual for us, which is in accordance with the norms in recent seasons. Comparatively to January 2023 the market was more active in the month of the month of January 2024. There is a lot of demand across all of our markets. European stocks were low as of the 1st of January. certain production regions will be out of stock even sooner than normal. Therefore, we are hopeful that the 2nd portion of the season will be favorable. This is true for both organic and integrated productions.”

Organic apples were subject to climatic difficulties within the Vinschgau Valley, but harvesting concluded successfully. Ratschiller explains that “the inventory of the major organic companies across Europe are less than they were last year. In contrast to an integrated approach that we had, we didn’t have any overlap between the both new and old harvests which is why we started fresh with our new crop during the fall. Up to January 1 our sales were the exact amount of organic apples that we sold the year before and additionally have that same quantity of apples in our inventory.”

“The distinction lies in the different varieties. We picked more red and two-colored varieties but less Golden Delicious. We do our best to harvest as much Golden Delicious as we can to make it work, however it appears it is likely that our Golden season will be over this year. We will however be able cover the remaining portion of the year by introducing our first organic varieties, Gala and Pinova. There are also the club apples that can also be purchased organically and this demonstrates the value of organic produce for us as well as demonstrating our status as a top organic apple producer throughout Europe. Furthermore, during this year we’ve slighty increased our production to major markets in Germany, Scandinavia and Italy with reasonable prices. Following a difficult year it is becoming apparent the demand to buy organic apples has been increasing little by little.”

Club apples become increasingly important to be used by VIP

Some of the most popular kinds like Ambrosia the envy and Cosmic Crisp have grown, as have the amounts that are available of Kanzi, Kissabel, Shinano Gold/Yello, as well as SweeTango(tm) are comparable to last year’s. About fifty to sixty percent of all varieties remain in the country’s borders. The second biggest market is, ranked by importance order, Spain, Germany, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.

“Italy is our primary market.” It is one of one of the biggest markets in each club’s particular type. It is the same for Kanzi, one of our varieties that is known as one of the top and most well-loved club apple varieties in Germany. It is interesting that an acidic fruit is gaining an audience in Italy could be a sign that the apples must be properly explained to the consumers. We’re investing heavily into this and even working with an expert in apple sensory who helped us make precise and unique descriptions for every kind of apple. The apples are not exactly like the others and the differentiation based on colour by itself (yellow or red or two-colored) does not suffice in the present. Consumers who are sophisticated will spend more for an experience that is unique to them,” comments Ratschiller.

Scandinavia is a market that remains important due to the high price. “However we’re not overestimating the Italian market that will also pay for quality products. The thing that distinguishes the Scandinavian market distinct is its use of organic produce. The proportion of organic products within Scandinavian nations is the top of all Europe and, unlike an integrated manufacturing system, Italy is not our the first choice in the world of organic products, since it’s a distant second to Germany in terms of a singular product location.” It is a curious thing the fact that “in Denmark, which has less than 10 percent of Italy’s inhabitants the company sells almost all the organic apples we are with Italy.”

The arrival of Cosmic Crisp to the European markets on the 14th of January, VIP recorded a 30 percentage increase in sales as in comparison to last year’s. “Our sales team visited the cooperative to look at the apple with our technical staff prior to the launch of the promotion. We enjoyed the look and flavor of the apples. The launch was 2 weeks earlier than we did last year, and as an elite customer, we’ve increased sales by 30% over in the beginning of this year. this year to date. I’d say it is an excellent sign for an apple, that is soon capable of providing all time,” comments Ratschiller, and is happy by the excellent quality of the merchandise.

Problems with logistics and geopolitical unstable situation persist

In the context of globalization VIP is confronted with difficulties in terms of logistics and geopolitics due to the fact that historical markets like Russia and Algeria are not accessible anymore. But, with the availability of more markets and presence in over 50 markets around the world The Consortium can navigate the challenges.

“The market’s historical nature are not accessible anymore due to different reasons is not new. Take a look at the Russian market or the Algerian market that was once our main source of supply but are no longer able to. For instance, Egypt and Egypt, where our quantities were much higher. We have been able to work on an expanded range of products that allows us to have as many as 50 countries around the world, and also an European market that’s fascinating to us. So, we’ve got a great range of markets and can come up with solutions to even the most difficult circumstances. We are competing with our competitors and find ourselves facing the same issues with respect to certain locations because they use the same procedures. It’s not a novel idea but I’d argue that it is now commonplace and has become one of the major problems for businesses operating internationally.”

Fruit Logistica 2025

“We will be attending the Berlin show with almost the entire sales staff, which affirms that the Fruit Logistica is a vital trade fair to us. The three-day fair in Madrid in the early part of the season is an ideal time to discuss with our customers regarding their plans and preparing for the season ahead, the Berlin fair is crucial in setting the course for the rest of the season. It also has information on inventory in January available. It is true that Germany is among the major producers of traditional VIP following Italy and is the very first market we have for our organic apple,” Ratschiller concludes.

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www.vip.coop