Supermarket group Spar and Austrian produce trader Frutura have launched trials to assess whether heritage apple varieties can support large-scale commercial production under present-day growing conditions. Their experimental orchard in Styria contains 2,150 trees, and its first harvest is heading to Vienna markets for trial sales. Should the project prove successful, Spar intends to make the varieties available more widely across the region.
The initial selection includes Ilzer Rose, which originated in Styria in 1840, and Falchs Gulderling, identified in South Tyrol in the 1870s. Although the initiative revives part of Austria’s agricultural heritage, its purpose extends beyond historical preservation: the varieties must demonstrate their suitability for contemporary fruit farming. Markus Kaser, deputy chair of Spar Austria, says consumers are taking a renewed interest in food’s origins, varieties and flavour. Frutura co-managing director Katrin Hohensinner-Häupl described the taste of the two apples as bringing back memories of childhood.
Around 7,500 apple varieties are cultivated today, but a typical supermarket offers just three to five. Varieties developed for industrial agriculture have been selected for flavour, high yields, vivid colouring and resistance to pests, diseases and agricultural chemicals. Older varieties cannot necessarily be expected to match that performance at scale. The partnership therefore combines an ambition to broaden the apples available to shoppers with practical testing of whether historic varieties can thrive in commercial orchards.
