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Italy: Changes in Apo Conerpo’s General Management

14/08/2024

Madeleine Royère-Koonings
Italy,
WPTC
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Despite many recent challenges such as poor weather, rising costs, consumer inflation, and regulatory pressures, Italy's largest fruit and vegetable producer group remains steadfastly confident.

Left to right: Daniele Maria Ghezzi, Davide Vernocchi, and Gabriele Chiesa
From left to right on the picture: Daniele Maria Ghezzi, Davide Vernocchi, and Gabriele Chiesa

There were some recent changes in the top management of Apo Conerpo. While the members' assembly reappointed Davide Vernocchi as president, the organization welcomed a new director, Daniele Maria Ghezzi.

Ghezzi, born in 1979, is a university professor and the former director of the export trade consortium 'Piacenza Alimentare'. He takes over from Gabriele Chiesa, who has led Apo Conerpo for the last 21 years. Vernocchi expressed deep gratitude towards Chiesa, acknowledging his leadership through some of the most challenging periods in the group's history. Vernocchi also expressed confidence in Ghezzi, highlighting his expertise, professionalism, and strategic vision as valuable assets for the organization moving forward.

Despite a significant 27% drop in traded volumes, Apo Conerpo demonstrated impressive resilience by increasing its sales turnover by 1.8% to €434 million. The group's overall turnover was €787 million, reflecting a modest decline of just 2.7% compared to 2022, while returns to growers reportedly rose by 50%.

The past year was difficult for Italy’s fresh produce sector due to spring frosts, May floods, summer droughts, hailstorms, and plant diseases, which severely impacted key crops like pears, peaches, tomatoes, and onions, especially in Emilia-Romagna. The sector also faced high energy and raw material costs, inflation that lowered demand, labor shortages, and challenging decisions from Europe affecting agriculture.
 
In response, Apo Conerpo expanded its sourcing within Italy, saw increased sales in its processed tomato business, and grew its retail and export sales by 13.6%, through its subsidiaries like Alegra, Brio, and Valfrutta Fresco.

Sources: fruit net, corriere ortofrutticolo