In a year when the U.S. apple crop volume is down nearly 10 percent versus the prior year, retailers can look forward to a fresh crop arriving from the southern hemisphere keeping consumers shopping the apple deck and providing fresh-picked flavor and promotional volumes throughout the spring and summer.
“The supply of some key apple varieties from Washington state is lower this year, particularly Honeycrisp, the star of the category,” says Don Roper, VP sales and marketing at Honeybear® Brands.
“Yearly crop production is impacted by the elements and we don’t have much control, so a dual-hemisphere approach has been an important strategy for us for over 20 years. Our growing partners in Chile and our retail partners in the U.S. depend on us to deliver a seamless supply of conventional and organic fruit with the Honeybear Brands label. With packing and distribution facilities on both coasts, we can ensure low landed costs and fast delivery of product for our retailers.”
The import program provides summer supply assurance and allows retailers to drive category sales with strong promotable volumes of Honeycrisp along with other key apple and pear varieties. Honeycrisp is currently being harvested in Chile and this year’s crop is expected to be the largest since the program started, representing about 70 percent of the total Southern Hemisphere supply. Chile has seen an outstanding growing season, meaning customers can expect excellent flavor, retail sizing and premium quality. Honeybear Brands has decades of experience in fruit imports allowing it to offer retail partners year-round programs for apples, pears and cherries from growing regions around the world.
The Chilean crop is known to provide the fresh market crop with consistent flavor and quality. Chile has a balance of warm days, cool nights and rainfall that are key to flavorful apples. As it did this year, the Honeybear Brands import program will continue to grow along with consumer demand for fresh apples, pears and cherries.
Honeybear is a trademark of Wescott Agri Products.
For more information:
Denise Leach
Honeybear Brands
Tel: +1 (919) 610-1916
denise@dixonmarketingcommunications.com
www.honeybearbrands.com