Apples from the Italian region of Veneto are set to be marketed in export markets including Germany and Russia under a new brand called Melarena, after the trademark was unveiled by the recently established Venetian Apple Marketing Consortium.
The consortium was formed four years ago by producer organisations representing around a thousand growers in the provinces of Verona, Padua and Rovigo.
Its main aim is to combat a recent decline in market prices that has seen many growers opt to stop producing apples rather than make a loss on selling them.
The new brand, also referred to as Made in Veneto, will be used to market a crop which is dominated by Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Royal Gala, Dallago and Fuji, primarily to retail customers in central-northern Italy as well as northern Europe.
'Made in Veneto apples are distinguished by their high crispness, low acidity, strong aroma and balanced taste profile,' commented Luciano Sammarini, the consortium's commercial manager. 'The size of the fruit must not be lower than 70mm.'
Veneto currently turns out around 200,000 tonnes of apples each year, of which about 70,000 tonnes are destined to be marketed under the Melarena brand.
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