New varieties
According to him, it is important for new varieties to be regularly developed. "Varieties which can be harvested earlier, later, last longer, need to use less pesticides, are more tolerant and resistance to disease, are important properties to be found with new varieties." Nicolas says that in Washington State there are ideal growing conditions for apples. "For example there are lots of Kanzi planted there, we are talking about hundreds of thousands of trees per year and because of the dry climate there is a very low incidence of disease."
Red blush
Sales of red blush apples such as Kanzi, Honey Crunch and Pink Lady in Europe have risen. "In the US this is less so. Many retailers in the US still sell a lot of Golden and Granny and it is difficult to change that. Green and yellow varieties don't bring as much but they sell well in the US. Things are changing, and some fiery red varieties are starting to take off in popularity. The taste and texture of Red Delicious as been overtaken by competition. There is definitely a market for good apples and people are willing to pay, even for the larger sizes, 72 pieces in a 40 pound box. In Belgium and The Netherlands this varies from 85 to 95. America also market to children, small apples go in a small plastic bag with, for example, a well-known cartoon figure on."
The Arctic apple has recently been launched in the US. This is the first non-staining GM apple. Nicolas has mixed feelings about this: "I think that this is more of a test to see how the consumer accepts them. It might have been better to work with the Greenstar, which is not GM, is nicer, and doesn't go brown. They are also planted here but not in any great quantities. I expect in the coming years that they will increase in popularity throughout Europe. If they get tasted more customers will really appreciate them."
Money plays an important role
He sees a future in free varieties like Honey Crisp. "In America everybody can plant these freely so you see changes to new varieties, whether or not they are club breeds. Large scale growers indeed want to have something their competitor doesn't, so they go for club varieties. As breeders we have to also ensure that only certain varieties are planted. Money plays an important role in the US. Organic varieties are also grown, so long as they bring in the money. It is a pragmatic view, and not fundamental."
Difficult communication
Competition
According to Stevens, there is definitely competition between the different states. "In Washington State there are large companies growing hundreds of hectares every year. The east coast is more traditional, more like what we see in Europe. There are more small family businesses, who find their market locally, and who also grow more organically. They cannot compete against the large companies on the west coast."
Pears
Better3Fruit is not only busy with developing apples. In 2005 they began a pear breeding program. "We expect to present an interesting variety in 2018. It always takes a couple of years to evaluate. In America, pears are relatively unknown, but people are trying to get the public to eat them. It is surprising that here there is demand for a tasty pear which can be handled more like an apple. Most pear varieties have to be perfectly soft and ripe before customers will buy them. Conference varieties are not good to grow; they do well in Belgium and The Netherlands, but outside of Europe they don't. Take Poland for example: if you have three tough winters then all the trees die. Maybe we should cross Asian and European pears. A variety which is tasty, but also hardy. If we can make a great variety, then we'll take America by storm."
For more information:
Nicolas Stevens
Better3Fruit
Steenberg 36
B-3202 Rillaar - Belgium
T: +32 (0)16 24 16 10
F: +32 (0)16 22 88 95
www.better3fruit.com
info@better3fruit.com