Val Venosta Apples takes stock of results after the dynamism of its sales in foreign markets since its campaign began. After intense prior preparatory work, VIP, the Association of Fruit and Vegetable Cooperatives of Val Venosta, launched last summer an important commercial campaign aligned with the company's commercial strategy, the results of which generated an important network of clients already established and new potential clients in the Latin American market.

Joachim Rabensteiner, VIP's head of export sales, now analyzes these new target markets beyond Europe: Latin America and India. “The sales campaign in Central and South America began at the end of September and ended at the end of March, when the supply of apples from Argentina and Chile began.” A campaign aimed at Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador and Brazil, “where red apples are the ones that are attractive to their consumers,” explains Rabensteiner. “It is the Gala variety that occupies first place, followed immediately by Fuji and Red Delicious.” Despite this clear interest in its sweeter apples, in recent years, Golden Delicious apples, its main variety, have also begun to find a market. A campaign that has also meant an important innovation for VIP, which Rabensteiner advances: “Central and South America were open to introducing some Club apples and our team was also able to place Kanzi and Ambrosia.”

Already in April and once the campaign on the American continent has concluded, VIP is now heading to the Asian markets, particularly India, with satisfactory results.

VIP's head of export sales explains that, “it has been possible despite the persistence of the Suez and Red Sea crisis, which involves the company circumnavigating Africa with a transit time of between 30 to 50 days longer. to reach the Indian ports.” A circumstance that adds to the critical economic situation in the area that has not prevented the start of the campaign in Asia from being positive. “Thanks to the right contacts, acquired over time, and the effective negotiations of our sales team, the entire assortment of red apples has already been arranged in the area,” he concludes.

When the campaign ends in the coming weeks, VIP will focus on selling apples in Europe. “Exports of Val Venosta apples to European countries,” says Rabensteiner, “have begun with momentum and in a market that is prepared to absorb our supply.” Val Venosta apples have important advantages over their competitors, such as their geographical position, a privileged area of homogeneous production that is the highest in Europe and that today has become even more relevant with the change in climatic conditions with higher temperatures. . Thanks to the altitude, VIP apples are distinguished by their color, crunchy texture and preservation, and are especially suitable for export because they retain their high quality during travel. A quality of the product to which the very wide varietal assortment of the company from South Tyrol contributes, with an apple for every time of the year and for all tastes.

“Now that all the red varieties have been channeled into Europe, we can concentrate on Golden, our queen variety, which is available 12 months a year,” Rabensteiner remarks.

The restructuring of VIP's team and structure undertaken two years ago, which moved sales from management by individual cooperatives to centralized management by the Consortium, has allowed the sales team to maintain a more intense and effective presence in the markets, generating better relationships and greater proximity to customers in traditional markets and new markets. "The opportunities for the future are many and we hope to be able to take advantage of them. In the meantime, and along the way, we continue working every day with the same commitment and passion," concludes Joachim Rabensteiner.

The Association of Horticultural Cooperatives of Val Venosta, VI.P, was born in 1990 and is made up of seven cooperatives and 1,600 producers who cultivate nearly 5,200 hectares in the Venosta Valley, located in the Italian Alps. The special microclimate of the valley (300 days of sunshine a year; strong fluctuation in temperatures between day and night; and the altitude at which apples are grown – between 500 and 1,000 meters) and its nature offer the conditions perfect for growing high quality apples.

85% of VIP's production is obtained by applying integrated cultivation techniques, which minimize the use of chemical pesticides and prohibit post-harvest chemical treatments. A way of farming that respects the environment, the naturalness of the fruits and human health. The remaining 15% of its production is organic. This line, BIO Val Venosta, has an average harvest that exceeds 50,000 tons and its main markets are Italy, Germany and Scandinavian countries. While Manzanas Val Venosta collects an average of 330,000 tons each season and markets them in 50 international markets, including Italy (absorbs 50% of the production), Germany, the Iberian Peninsula, Scandinavia, Eastern Countries, North Africa and Middle East.