Leading players in the Italian apple industry have officially unveiled From, a major new initiative designed to promote the country's exports of the fruit outside Europe.
At a special international launch event held during the World Food Moscow trade fair this week, the From logo and concept was presented to traders, importers, suppliers and trade journalists.
The logo is expected to be used by the five companies involved in the project – VOG, VI.P, Melinda, La Trentina and VOG Products – who will initially employ the brand to market apples sold in Russia, with a view to potentially extending this marketing project to other non-European countries in which the exporters are active.
Russia is being seen as the primary target market for the From brand, while Italian apple industry insiders say other emerging markets such as the Middle East, India and North America are likely to feature in its future development.
Trentino-based organisations Melinda and La Trentina recently agreed withSouth Tyrol-based companies VOG and VI.P Val Venosta to establish apermanent commercial presence in the Russian capital as of the upcoming2009/10 season.
The companies, which will run a jointly managed sales office in Moscow as they seekto build on recent growing demand for their fruit in Russia, say they expect to market around 5,000 truckloads ofapples in Russia this season.
