"Sales almost doubled in the second season," says Jacco van Kessel, MD of the Dutch fruit company of the same name. He is referring to the Evelina club apple variety. This company has acquired exclusive rights for this apple in the Netherlands. There is also room for growth for the coming - third - season. Dutch acreage has now grown to 30 hectares.
And expansion to 40 hectares is planned for next winter. "I've every confidence that this upward trend will continue." His colleague Jack van Kessel, commercial director, adds that supermarkets are increasingly attracted to the Evelina apple. The increasing acreage means the marketing strategy is also changing. "Volume and sales are climbing every year."
"That lets us sell Evelina even more widely. When volumes increase, one of the first sales strategies is to bring forward and extend the delivery period. We used to deliver from January to about June. This year, we're going to start as early as November," says Jack. Marketing efforts are also being made. For example, Jack expects to launch a social media campaign soon.
Shelf life
Evelina's positive attributes prompted its choice admits Jacco. "This apple variety is hugely productive and isn't prone to alternating years. Also, it's quite disease-resistant." Practical considerations also played a role. "Picking time-wise, the Evelina fits in nicely with the Conference pear, Elstar, and Jonagold varieties. This apple isn't extremely late, which is a plus. There's, therefore, no gap of a few weeks activity at our farm."
Evelina stores well too. "It doesn't lose its quality when kept in the cold store for longer." Van Kessel Fruit stores Elstars using an ACR regime. That is to keep these apples firm during storage and prevent peel spots. That system uses monitoring and application of the minimum oxygen level. This is not needed for the Evelina variety, says Jack. "One of this variety's strengths is that it has an excellent shelf life, including later in the season too."
Premium
Van Kessel Fruit deliberately chose to acquire the rights to a club variety. And Jacco increasingly sees a future for these. Although he does wonder whether there may be too many club varieties at some point. Nonetheless, the director does not consider it impossible that more and more supermarkets will focus on a premium house brand. That will be alongside general apple varieties like Elstar or Jonagold.
He says a key issue with a club variety is that quality is guaranteed. "That's only possible because organizations that own the right to a particular variety, direct things. The apples are monitored, and their quality is guaranteed. So, consumers can blindly trust that it's good. Guarantee that quality, and you have a premium apple." Jack explains that to carry the name Evelina, these apples must meet strict requirements around, for example, the coloring percentage.
"An Evelina apple has a 60% unbroken blush color." Around 70% of the apples achieve that. That party depends on weather conditions. Cultivation guidance and using certain techniques can also play a role. Jacco mentions 'leaf blowing', which allows more sun to reach the apples. They, therefore, blush more. "We sell the remaining apples, which are of good quality but less colored, under the name Pinova," he concludes.
Jacco van Kessel
[email protected]
Jack van Kessel
[email protected]
Van Kessel Fruit
Tel: +31 (0) 418 631 231
www.vankesselfruit.nl
