Record start to summer for the Apofruit Group’s organic companies

Apofruit announces that its organic companies have recorded a record start to the summer, confirming the positive trend of the previous year, which saw growth of 5% on 2024.

A record June

In particular, June 2026 recorded unprecedented acceleration for the cooperative Group’s organic division, driven above all by sales of stone fruit and blueberries on the Italian and European markets. Canova, the Group company specialising in organic produce, recorded in June 2026 an increase of 30% both in volume and turnover compared with the same period of 2025. This leap amounts to approximately 2,5 million euros in additional turnover and, for the first time, turnover from organic produce reached the levels of conventional produce, again considering June alone 2026. ViviToscano, which serves the market in central and southern Italy, also achieved an exceptional +40%, reaching 1,2 million euros in turnover in just thirty days.

A clearly defined choice

Ernesto Fornari, Apofruit’s general manager, explains: “The results we recorded in June this year were exceptional and difficult to replicate. At the same time, they reward a clearly defined choice that our Group made several years ago: maintaining and promoting organic production in all the regions where we operate, even during the most challenging periods for the sector. These figures now confirm the validity of the project.”

Looking at the details, Fornari continues: “In 2025 Canova had already recorded growth of 4,7% on 2024, a year that was already at record levels, while Vivi Toscano had closed with an increase of 9%. Today we can say that all Apofruit’s organic companies, from Canova, with its presence in Italy, Spain and France, to ViviToscano, the company that markets our products in central and southern Italy, are experiencing a phase of steady and sustained growth.”

Organic blueberries have an extra gear

Sales were driven above all by peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums and blueberries, products that found strong demand both on the domestic market and abroad. “A particularly hot start to the summer,” continues Fornari “favoured summer crops and gave stone fruit a very strong boost. We worked very effectively with distribution chains in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France, including discount channels and specialist shops. In Italy too, from supermarkets to Almaverde Bio islands, we recorded very significant results. In addition to peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums,” highlights the Apofruit general manager “blueberries achieved excellent results. It is a rapidly growing category, and the entire organic range benefited from a particularly favourable month of June.”

A sector operating amid many difficulties

According to the Apofruit general manager, this performance is also linked to structural changes in the European sector. “Producing organic food,” observes Fornari “is becoming increasingly complex because of climate change. In recent years, the number of farms choosing this model has declined. Apofruit, however, has always believed in organic production and can count on a solid core of members stretching from Trentino to Sicily. We have organic production in all the regions where we operate, and this reduction in supply at European level has enabled us to tap into a particularly favourable market.”

Nectarines and apricots lead the organic “top ten”

In the “top ten” of organic products that drove the growth of the Apofruit Group in June 2026, nectarines and apricots remain in first place both in terms of turnover and volumes sold. In the turnover ranking, the two stone fruits are followed by carrots, bananas, kiwis, lemons, blueberries, peaches, melons and cherries. In terms of volumes sold, nectarines and apricots are followed by kiwis, bananas, carrots, melons, lemons, peaches, cherries and blueberries. In foreign markets, the products that recorded the best performances were mainly nectarines, apricots, peaches, cherries and kiwis, which were the stars of a particularly positive sales campaign in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.