Top fruit sales are generally on plan and Worldwide for Fruit. "There is good demand for apples, but demand for pears has weakened due to higher pricing following the short European crop," according to Tony Harding, Technical & Procurement Director at Worldwide Fruit. "We still have a couple of months of sales to go, UK-grown Gala and Braeburn. Jazz will extend on a bit longer, and most of the other British dessert lines will start to disappear throughout May. Bramley will meet up with the new season."
Some retailers in the UK are buying British and importing to fulfil their requirements. Others are 100% British until they meet up with the new season Southern Hemisphere fruit.
"Overall, it looks like the Southern Hemisphere is going to produce a nice crop of fruit. All countries have a good crop, and it looks like it will be a clean crop at this stage. There is strong demand for apples globally, which is helping to keep fruit on the move.
"I expect the transition from Southern Hemisphere to Northern Hemisphere fruit to be smooth. It has been well-advertised that NH is selling well, and the crop was one of the lowest in the last decade. From what we are hearing, programmes for SH fruit were laid down in good time and volumes secured to ensure a smooth transition. At the moment, we are only selling green Williams from Argentina and a few early pear varieties from South Africa for now. SH apple will not start with us until early June, beginning with Braeburn and then progressing into Gala, Granny, and Pink Lady."
Tony said that demand is very good, the cost per kg is still very competitive to other products, so apples are enjoying good demand. He doesn't see that changing over the coming months.
"Over the last two years, we have seen good demand for British top fruit, with examples of retailers signing up to long-term supply deals with key suppliers. BAPL has done an excellent job in marketing British products and pushing the merits of British production. With the reduction of apple and pear production in Europe, the British crop is strategically important, helping to buffer supply chain challenges and ensuring sellers have fruit on the shelf throughout the supply.
© Worldwide Fruit
Jazz and Jazz Juniors
Demand remains strong for Jazz. It is still a top variety with great consistency and excellent eating characteristics, and demand continues to outstrip supply. Our direction of travel is to increase plantings in the northern hemisphere to backfill a predicted reduction in volume from New Zealand as they switch to planting other varieties like ENVY™ and Joli™. We have exciting planting plans for Jazz in the UK to ensure we can satisfy the demand and continue to drive the variety forward.
March Worldwide Fruit launched the Jazz Juniors, a pack of small-sized superb Jazz apples, onto the market. "It is still early days, but signs are promising. We love the look of the pack; it looks different and stands out on the shelf. We know brands are taking a more prominent role within the category, and introducing Jazz Juniors should help to build off the success the Jazz brand has achieved."
Jazz Juniors have that unmistakable JAZZ tangy-sweet taste, and their smaller size makes them perfect for snacking.
JAZZ Juniors allows us to utilise more of the fruit in the bin in the UK, and our growers can ensure that more fruit makes its way to the consumer, minimising food waste and, in turn, helping growers utilise more of the crop.
For more information:
Tony Harding
Worldwide Fruit
[email protected]
