Maribelle, a slightly sweet, aromatic, green-yellow apple with a pink blush, has been identified as the most lucrative apple in Europe for the past five years.
Jan van Ingen, general manager of Treequattro, the Dutch company that owns the variety, says that the Kanzi apple currently achieves the highest price per kilogram, but Maribelle generates a better return per hectare thanks to its high yields and the low percentage of fruit diverted to the juice market.
“European apple production in general averages between 50t/ha and 60t/ha, whereas Maribelle production averages around 80t/ha to 85t/ha, with some French farmers achieving yields of up to 100t/ha. And less than 2% of Maribelle apples end up being juiced, in comparison with up to 15% of the
