Mr Gerhard Dichgans, CEO of VOG, Italy: "Our main challenge is not competition"

Mr Gerhard Dichgans, CEO of VOG, Italy: “Our main challenge is not competition, but the state instability in several countries in Maghreb & Middle East”. Met in Fruit Logisitica earlier this month, Gerhard Dichgans, Director of VOG, the South Tyrolean apple Consortium in Italy, draws a statement of the apple business. 

Met in Fruit Logisitica earlier this month, Mr Gerhard Dichgans evaluated the February apple stock in Europe just as high as in 2015. But - referred to his own company VOG – apples in Stock end of February will be 10% lower than last year, and so he feels rather comfortable when he looks to the commercial prospects in the coming months.

Fructidor : in what extent does the Russia ban affects your activity?
Gerhard Dichgans : This is a minor challenge for VOG, as we have not been hit that much. And – in the meantime - we have built strong positions in Maghreb and Middle East with our varieties Royal Gala, Red Delicious and Golden. The main challenge is not competition, but the state of general economy in many of these countries, which have been hit by the turmoil of oil prices. In some countries, the national governments put strong pressure on import/export exchanges, and limit the currency flows.
Fructidor : What is the position of VOG, today?
Gerhard Dichgans : As said earlier, our apple stocking is at -10% comparing to last season, so we feel comfortable.
As for Gala that represents 20% of our volumes, we will finish the season already mid March, some six weeks earlier than usual.
As for Golden, prices are getting off the ground since late January. In Italy, there is a nice demand for quality, and this market still represents some 40% of all sales of this variety.
I am confident that with the recovery of Golden prices the whole market will follow this good trend.

Fructidor : What are the developments of your apple brands?
Gerhard Dichgans : We have a strong demand for premium products like Pink Lady®, Jazz®, Kanzi®  apples. This premium segment is not hit by crisis. Furthermore, at Fruit Logistica we have presented together with the owners of this variety and brand, Turners&Growers, the new apple ENVY®.
We have sold this year the first commercial crop of about 300 tons of ENVY®: wholesalers and retailers have sent great feedback for this new brand. Our orchards are getting now into production step by step, in 2018 we will have a total of 80 ha planted.
ENVY® is an apple that enters as a premium offer into the “sweet apple” segment, today dominated by the Fuji variety. It is a sweet aromatic apple, juicy and that has a strong advantage: to be always crunchy. This is just what the new consumer asks for : This is the Super Fuji!