“We are looking forward to the arrival of the new apple crop from New Zealand,” says David Nelley, executive apple and pear category director with Oppy. “The fruit will be here early June and available through mid-September.” It was a difficult growing season that started with hail last October. “However, growers have overcome these challenges and produced a large export quality crop. Consumers are excited for the arrival of fresh Envy and Jazz apples. Jazz is a cross of Gala and Braeburn and has a sweet-tart flavor. Envy is a very juicy, sweet apple that doesn’t brown when sliced. Both varieties are fresh and crisp and were bred in New Zealand for their flavor,” mentioned Nelley. “They compete very well with summer fruit.”
Newer varieties provide better pricing
“Apple prices are fairly depressed relative to last season. Washington state flooded the market with some old varieties,” said Nelley. “Retailers are looking for non-traditional varieties that provide a better gross sale, which they find in newer varieties like Jazz and Envy.” The retail price of the Envy variety ranges from $1.99 - $2.99/lbs. and according to Nelley, “the consumer is willing to pay a premium for a fresh apple. As we sell out of Envy apples, for instance, we certainly hear about it from consumers.” Shipment from New Zealand is very efficient. It’s similar in cost, or sometimes cheaper, to ship apples from New Zealand to Philadelphia than to truck apples across from Washington state.
Sources of labor
New Zealand apple growers heavily rely on two additional sources of labor to get their apples picked. “For instance, orchards are filled with backpackers from Europe,” said Nelley. “I was in New Zealand two weeks ago and in one row, I saw a group of girls from Germany while in the next row, a group of guys from France were picking. It’s a working vacation for them and they make great friendships.” New Zealand also provides temporary guest visas to indigenous people from the Pacific Islands, including Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu, through its Recognized Seasonal Employer program. “These people often live in poverty and picking and packing apples allows them to earn money to send home to their families. It is a great way of providing foreign aid while filling key jobs in the absence of local labor,” added Nelley.
For more information:
David Nelley
Oppy
Tel: (+1) 604 461 6779