The South Tyrol Apple Consortium has registered an unexpected 2006 harvest increase of one percent despite initial forecasts.

A total of 855,503 tonnes of apples were produced in the South Tyrol region in 2006.

Matthias Josef Gamper, chairman of the South Tyrol Apple Consortium, said: “The autumn, with its late summer temperatures, gave the fruit an extra boost.”

Volumes of Golden Delicious rose to 368,265t in the 2006 season, up from 365,345 in 2005, Red Delicious increased to 102,794t from 98,553t in 2005, Braeburn reached 64,706t up from 60,892t in 2005, Granny Smith increased to 54,116t from 53,416t in 2005, and Fuji volumes were up to 40,622t from 39,179t in 2005.

The organic offering also increased by 2,416t in 2006 to a total of 24,848t.

The good quality of all varieties contributed to an outstanding harvest, according to Gamper. He added that the beginning of the 2007 marketing season has sparked a cautious optimism in the state of Tyrol.

Josef Wielander, director of producer Vinschgau Val Venosta (VI.P), added: “'The shelves were already cleared by August, which shows that demand for freshly picked apples is very high. We registered a harvest increase of five percent in Vinschgau, with very fine apples indeed.”

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