is an Italian cooperative of fruit growers founded over 50 years ago. Since 2000, the company also provides organic products, which are marketed under the brand AlmaVerde through Canova srl, a specialized company in organic production. We had a chat at World Foods Warsaw with Vincenzo Berti and Vincenzo Finelli. Finelli pointed out that they are already active in Poland when it comes to conventional produce, but that there are still plenty of opportunities in the field of organics.Organic market
The company grows, packs and sells all kinds of fruits and vegetables. The main products are kiwifruit, stone fruit and top fruit. Vincenzo says that Poland is a growing market for Apofruit. "We have been established here for a few years with our conventional products, but now we are trying to promote organic products. In Italy, we are the market leader in the field of organic fruits and vegetables, and that is what we want to achieve here, as well. The country has over 40 million inhabitants, so there is plenty of potential. We have observed that consumption of healthy products is increasing and will continue to do so as the economy improves. World Foods Warsaw is the first fair in Poland where we have shown our organic range."
Conventional market
Vincenzo Berti is responsible for conventional products. "Our office has been here since 2002 and we have seen how rapidly the retail sector has developed. Chains are expanding, although for us it is still very important to deliver to wholesale markets, where real quality produce is still sold. In supermarkets, this is unfortunately not so much the case. My experience is that some supermarkets have a lot to improve in terms of quality. Polish consumers demand specific characteristics in fruits and vegetables; they want the product to look nice, but they also consider shelf life and flavour essential aspects."
Increasing competition
Berti points out that competition has increased. "More and more exporters try to gain a share of the market. Ten years ago, people were afraid to export to Poland, but now there is an increasing interest in this country. It is difficult to start here, but over the years we have built good relationships with dealers and supermarket chains and we expect to build even more. We want to distinguish ourselves with a product range marked by quality and variety."
