KIKU: Launch of news and international Club meetings at Interpoma fair 2022
Girlan, November 2022 – Great enthusiasm and excitement in the KIKU Variety Management team for its 12th participation at Interpoma, with a return to attendance after the experience in 2020 with its own totally virtual exhibition stand. The Bolzano fair dedicated exclusively to the world of apples will be an opportunity for
KIKU to launch a variety novelty, Alnova®, the editorial novelty “KIKU MAGAZINE”, and to meet breeders, nurserymen, business partner, academics and journalists face to face.
“We are delighted and proud to welcome partners from all over the world back home,” says Jürgen Braun, Managing Director of KIKU Apple. “In addition to the meetings at the completely renewed exhibition booth with new location, appearance and concept, three meetings for each club variety managed by KIKU Variety Management will take place: KIKU®, ISAAQ® and Crimson Snow®.”
“After KIKU’s 30th anniversary,” continued Jürgen Braun, “we decided to go back to the roots, concentrate on the apple with recipes and sport, in collaboration with star chefs and our sponsored athletes. We also want to celebrate the 30th anniversary of KIKU® APPLE, which only took place on a small scale in 2020 due to the pandemic. In this occasion we present our KIKU Apple Gin, an innovative apple-based gin by Roner distillery, to the apple industry. All visitors will receive a mini-bottle of KIKU Apple Gin. Also, after presenting my Dad´s biography in July, right in time for Interpoma the English edition of Luis Braun’s biography is ready. Luis Braun founded the company decades ago, and is the finder of a Fuji variety whose trees are grown in more than 30 countries and whose fruits are available in more than 50 markets under the globally protected brand KIKU®.”
While the focus outside of the exhibition center will be on the international club meetings, at booth D24-22 all spotlights will be on Alnova® – the novelty at KIKU, a free variety.
Successfully tested since many years in different locations, the early ripening Pinova “KI2586” trees will be produced from 2023 on, and marketed as a full commodity, therefore apples can freely be sold as Pinova. The harvest takes place about 2-3 weeks before Pinova, a few days after the start of the Gala harvest, with 2-3 picks instead of the 5 picks of Pinova. This makes the new variety less susceptible to Gloeosporium and therefore more sustainable. Crispy and juicy like Pinova, Alnova has a very good storage, good shelf life and better coloration than Pinova.
“Alnova® is the only apple we will taste at the fair. The apple has a spicy aroma, a good balance sugars-acidity, and convinces with its crunchiness and juiciness already fresh from the tree, so storage before consumption is not necessary,” explains Jürgen Braun. “All our club varieties, in particular ISAAQ® in collaboration with Melinda and Crimson Snow® in collaboration with VOG, will be on display both at the variety exhibition organized by Interpoma and at our booth. Our booth will be divided into three areas: one area dedicated to the 3 clubs managed by KIKU Variety Management (ISAAQ®, Crimson Snow® and of course KIKU®); a venue for our commodity apples (Fuji, Red Delicious, etc.); an entire side of the booth is reserved for the presentation of Alnova®. The Alnova website in three languages and the Instagram account will go online at Interpoma, as well.”
Last but not least, the KIKU MAGAZINE, the first edition of the magazine produced by KIKU Apple, will be distributed during the three days of the fair in Bozen. 76 pages of history of the South Tyrolean company that has been developing and producing innovative and high-quality apple varieties for more than 30 years. The magazine is published in three languages (Italian, German and English) presents KIKU’s apple varieties and products, tells stories and curiosities. In short, a full immersion into the vision of the Braun family and the apple world and the way of forming a team and growing together.
