“Regional apples are the future”

The New Zealand apple season has started, and estimates are positive. A larger export volume is expected for many varieties, and this season, more will be sent to Europe. Tony Fissette from Enzafruit: “We are carefully optimistic about the season. It might be a bit early, but our feelings are mixed. On the one hand, the fruit is later, but on the other, there’s more fruit. Besides, according to predictions, the European season will start several weeks earlier this year. Because of the good weather, the flowering period started earlier. We should bear this in mind.”

The new Jazz season starts in May. “Consumption increases every year, and we’re naturally very happy with this. The new Jazz logo was introduced at the Fruit Logistica Berlin this year, and responses were positive. The new packaging is ready in New Zealand, and will be seen everywhere this season. We naturally hope this will convince more people. The logo is clearer. In the past, we wanted to communicate too many things. Jazz is now more recognisable. Consumers can tell from a distance which apple they’re buying in supermarkets.” In New Zealand, growers aren’t enthusiastic about planting Jazz. “We’ve wanted to expand for years, but it’s incredibly difficult. Envy apples are much more profitable, and besides, this variety has a much higher yield per hectare. For 17 dollar per package, growers don’t have to think long about which apple to grow. Everyone who plants additional trees, plants Envy.” He believes Envy will be popular in Spain, Italy and France. “That’s why we also planted it there, and we’re awaiting the first volumes. It’ll be a local fruit, so it’ll probably be well-received.”

Interest in Braeburn is dropping, while production is larger this year. “Six per cent more Braeburn will be exported. Volumes are practically all meant for the European market and the UK. This variety’s season will start a bit later, and we think the market might be a bit pressured. The club varieties already have larger volumes, so it’s possible Braeburn could get into hot water this season. We’ll have to wait and see if the market can absorb that volume. I think we’ll have to be more careful in pricing Braeburn.” He indicates that it is intended that Braeburn's production will decrease. “Yet this season the harvest was larger than expected. Everyone wants it to decrease, but expects their neighbour to ‘grub up’ some trees. But that apparently didn’t happen. I don’t think there will be problems for most varieties, but Braeburn will be more difficult.”

Will there be plenty of production in coming years to meet demand in Asia and Europe? “The most important example that’s visibly growing, is Royal Gala. This variety is very popular in Asia. We may have difficulties in that supply. Looking only at New Zealand, a limited supply of Royal Gala will be left over, but plenty of Braeburn, Jazz and Pink Lady. These will be the varieties that we’ll have to work with in future. Other important reasons are that transport to Asia is quicker, cheaper, and certain varieties are more profitable there. The Middle East is also becoming a more important destination for apples from New Zealand.”

Is the promotion for local fruit a threat for imported fruit? “It definitely has an influence. After so many years, I expected consumers who travel farther and farther away would have a more international outlook on fresh produce and would like to try everything. Yet I’ve noticed that regional is manifesting enormously at the expense of ‘foreign’ fruit. Regional apples are the future. It’s therefore our strategy to plant as many Jazz trees in the countries where they’re consumed as possible. In the medium term this will be the future. Product from the Southern Hemisphere is supplied less and less in the period in which there’s also local fruit. We can fill the ‘gaps,’ but that period is becoming increasingly smaller more limited.” Fruit growers in the Netherlands and Belgium want to plant Jazz, according to Tony. “The problem is that we don’t have the climate for it. That’s the disadvantage for producers, consumers and for us.” 

It is possible in other European countries. “There’s the Bodensee in Germany of course, we discovered Jazz can be produced there. They are now starting to plant there.” He also mentions examples of where Jazz is successfully grown locally. “In Canterbury we have a large area of English Jazz apples. This variety is enormously successful, even when we supply from a different country for part of the year. This is also the case in Switzerland. It’s supplemented with production from various countries, but the fact that you also offer local product creates a kind of goodwill. Regionality is getting priority in retail. They say Europe is one, but everyone is still working for themselves. People want production from their own country, and even from their own region.”

The apple share increases in Europe every year. Some of the growers even talk of ‘too much.’ How is that for imported apples? “I think there are too many apples, but you have to look at each individual variety. Some varieties have too many apples, such as Golden, Jonagold and Braeburn. If those varieties start decreasing in coming years, they’ll be replaced by other varieties. Other varieties will then have too many apples.” But he doesn’t always see domestic apples as direct competition of import. “Jonagold and Golden are not directly a threat to our apples. If they are replaced by club varieties, they will become competitors. In future, people will definitely plant more club varieties, so we’ll start feeling it eventually.” Isn’t that switch to new varieties or club varieties very gradual? “In Europe, definitely. Jonagold and Golden should’ve been replaced with other varieties years ago. But producers are very aware of that. I talk to many local fruit growers, but they’re wondering: what should we then plant? And you’d have to be honest; Jazz, Pink Lady, Envy or Gala can’t be produced in Belgium or the Netherlands because of the climate. That’s why producers have switched to other products, such as cherries and pears, by now.”