The new association will strengthen cooperation in areas such as varietal innovation, research, development, and environmental measures, while maintaining the autonomy and identity of the three constituent POs. 

The South Tyrol – Südtirol apple industry has a new association that is set to strengthen the joint actions of local organisations. Named ‘alpoma’, the new Association of Producer Organisations (APO) was founded by the producer organisations VOG, VIP, and VOG Products.   

The new APO was presented today in Terlano by chairmen Georg Kössler (VOG), Thomas Oberhofer (VIP), and Johannes Runggaldier (VOG Products). By maintaining the autonomy and identity of its three constituent members, alpoma will permit more efficient and coordinated achievement of the local fruit industry’s development goals.  

alpoma’s responsibilities will include coordinating the research and management of new apple varieties and carrying out research and development projects for the South Tyrolean fruit industry in cooperation with the Laimburg Research Centre. Environmental measures will also be strengthened with the expansion of renewable energy sources, the implementation of water treatment systems for sustainable resource use, and other innovative solutions for optimising production processes. The APO will also improve cooperation in investments, starting with processed products managed by VOG Products.  

“alpoma originates from the idea of strength through collaboration,” explains Kössler, who is also chairman of the new association. “Thanks to this new organisation, we will be able to better coordinate existing collaborations and, if necessary, enhance and strengthen them. Other areas, such as production and sales, will continue to be managed independently by VOG, VIP and VOG Products. Producers and trading partners will therefore keep the same contact persons and procedures.”  

The name alpoma was chosen as a reference to the local area – the Italian alps – and to the main product of the organisation’s members – poma, apples. The association, which is headed by Chairman Georg Kössler and CEO Walter Pardatscher, will be based in the House of Apples in Terlano (Bolzano).   

alpoma   

The alpoma APO, together with its member organisations VOG, VIP, and VOG Products, represents a production volume of about one million tonnes of apples, grown by more than 6,000 producers on an area of about 18,000 hectares.