Five key players in the Italian apple sector have formed NovaMela, a new consortium with the specific aim of collaboratively researching, developing and marketing new varieties of the fruit.
Led by Michele Odorizzi of leading Italian marketer Melinda as its president and Georg Kössler of the country's largest topfruit supplier VOG as vice-president, the new group comprises South Tyrolean companies VOG and VI.P, Trentino-based Melinda and La Trentina, and Piedmontese supplier Rivoira.
As well as developing and marketing apple varieties of its own, NovaMela is also set to purchase the rights to grow and sell promising new apple varieties from elsewhere, the group confirmed.
"The NovaMela Consortium also intends to become the preferred partner for all stakeholders in new apple varieties who are interested in rapidly and efficiently introducing them in Italy, in the EU and in all the many nations where NovaMela members are already active," said a spokesperson.
NovaMela has already emerged as the primary entity through which all of its members' activities in relation to red-fleshed apple research and development will be channelled.
The consortium is an investing partner in Ifored, unveiled last week in Angers, France, to handle the introduction of new red-fleshed varieties belonging to the International Fruit Obtention (IFO) group.
IFO involves 12 international partners from 11 different countries and four different continents, including some of the world's leading apple growing and marketing companies.
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