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 producer organizations that form it.
BOLZANO, March 27, 2025 – The South Tyrol – Südtirol apple industry has established a new association to strengthen further joint actions among local organizations. Named Alpoma, the new Association of Producer Organizations (APO) was founded by the producer organizations VOG, VIP, and VOG Products.
The new APO was presented today in Terlano by Chairman Georg Kössler (VOG), along with Thomas Oberhofer (VIP) and Johannes Runggaldier (VOG Products). By preserving the autonomy and identity of its members, Alpoma will enable more efficient and coordinated achievement of the region’s fruit industry development goals.
Alpoma will be responsible for coordinating research and managing new apple varieties, as well as carrying out research and development projects for the South Tyrolean fruit industry in collaboration with the Laimburg Research Centre. Special attention will be given to environmental measures, including the expansion of renewable energy use, the implementation of water purification systems for sustainable resource management, and other innovative methods to optimize production processes. Cooperation in investments will also be improved, starting with processed products managed by VOG Products.
“Alpoma was born from the idea of strength through collaboration,” explains Kössler, who is also the chairman of the new association. “Thanks to this organization, we will be able to coordinate existing collaborations better and, if necessary, further improve 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 retain the same contacts and procedures.”
The name Alpoma was chosen as a reference to the local region – the Italian Alps (Alps) – and the main product of the organization’s members – apples (poma). The association will be led by Chairman Georg Kössler and CEO Walter Pardatscher, with headquarters at the House of Apples in Terlano (Bolzano).
About the Alpoma Association
The Alpoma APO, together with its members VOG, VIP, and VOG Products, represents an annual production volume of about one million tonnes of apples, grown by more than 6,000 producers on approximately 18,000 hectares of land.
Foto: ALPOMA
