The apple harvest in Michigan came in slightly below average this year, at an estimated 22.5 million bushels. So far, the marketing season has been going well and the apples have seen good movement. Michigan is also working on expanding the market for a newer variety: the EverCrisp, which has been increasing in volumes every year.
Honeycrisp continues to be the star
Michigan growers supply a strong portfolio of varieties to US consumers, but a few varieties always stand out as extra popular. Diane Smith, Executive Director of the Michigan Apple Committee, shares: “Gala and Fuji are always strong varieties. Additionally, there is always a lot of focus on Honeycrisp, and this year is no exception. They have been seeing great quality and the volumes are plentiful.”
There has been good movement for the crop so far this marketing season, Smith says. “We saw great movement in retail in the fall, and we are working on moving the remainder of the Honeycrisp crop, along with many other popular varieties such as the Gala and Fuji,” she explains, adding: “We’ll also be talking a lot about EverCrisp which is a great apple out of storage we think consumers will love.”
The newer player in the market: EverCrisp
The EverCrisp apple has been around for a few years now, though the quantities have been small so far. Smith says: “Growers have been making significant investments into this variety over the past few years, so more and more apples of this variety will be coming into production. That is why we really want to educate the retailers and consumers about it.” The EverCrisp is a rosy colored, sweet, juicy and firm variety which thrives in the Michigan climate.
“This year’s supply is of the EverCrisp is good and will continue to grow in the years to come. Since it is still fairly new, we are working on educating people about it – we want to make sure people give this variety a try. Our feeling is that once a consumer tastes EverCrisp, they will come back for more,” Smith says.
In addition to growing apples, the Michigan Apple Committee also provides tailored marketing programs to support retail. “We just released three new sections of our Retail Dietitian Kit, for those retailers who provide that service, and we also have a number of other resources for retailers on our website,” Smith concludes.
For more information:
Diane Smith
Michigan Apple Committee
Tel: +1 (800) 456-2753
Email: News@MichiganApples.com
www.michiganapples.com