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Giumarra’s Lemonade apples
we’re still rolling with the Envy and Jazz [apples],” he says.
NEW ZEALAND APPLES
With improved post-harvest techniques and technology allowing domestic apples to stay in storage longer, is counterseasonal fruit as competitive?
“Consumers are educated and ask them- selves, ‘Do I want a fresh apple or do I want something that was picked nine months ago?’ They figured it out,” says Kazmirski. “We get POS materials that say fresh New Zealand apples are available, and they react to it. It’s the same with the citrus.”
Although apples were not the highest earning fruit export from New Zealand to North America last year, they still led the way in volume.
According to Alan Pollard, chief executive at New Zealand Apples and Pears in Hastings, NZ, exports worldwide more than doubled between 2012 and 2018.
“About 80 percent is due to a value increase rather than a volume increase — we are extracting greater value per metric ton [MT] from our premium product offerings,” he says, adding that the United States is the sector’s third-largest export destination.
A big part of those premiums comes from varieties, including Jazz and Envy, which are trademarks owned by T&G Global, based in Auckland, NZ, and partnered with Oppy in North America.
David Nelley, category vice president for apples, pears and cherries and global exports at Oppy, says Jazz apples will arrive in late May, while Envy is set for June.
He believes it is a combination of flavor and superior new varieties that has kept New Zealand apples competitive despite improved storage and preferences for locally sourced food.
“The past few years, Pink Lady, Royal Gala and Fuji have done really well in North
America to provide savvy retailers a point of differentiation from their competitors who are selling old crop apples,” he says. “Having larger sizes complement a crop that’s smaller in sizing plays a role in adding to the category, too.”
Jason Bushong, division manager at Giumarra Wenatchee in Wenatchee, WA, says his company imports pears; Meyer lemons, apricots and kiwiberries from New Zealand, but apples are the largest program.
“We offer traditional varieties, as well as our exclusive new variety Lemonade, which has been in the commercial market for two years,” he says. “Lemonade is a yellow apple with a bright, sweet-tart flavor and crisp texture.
“It has a firm yet juicy crunch,” says Bushong. “Despite it being relatively new to the marketplace, we have gotten a lot of feed- back from consumers who are excited about this apple and want to know where they can buy it.”
Seeka Limited, Giumarra’s kiwiberry supplier partner based in Te Puke, has been shipping to the United States for three years with a season that lasts four weeks in February.
“The fruit is oval in shape, with a smooth soft skin,” says a Seeka spokesperson. “Kiwiber- ries are located in the berry section of the supermarket and come in two sizes, 125g or
454g punnets. They have high nutritional value and are ideal as a snack or in school lunches.”
“New Zealand product produces out of season compared to the United States and Canada berries so they both complement each other to help grow the category, build aware- ness and help provide more consistent supply for consumers,” says Geoff Oliver, chairman of NZ KiwiBerry Growers Inc., in Te Puke.
AUSTRALIAN CITRUS
Although Australian citrus was signifi- cantly squeezed out of the U.S. market by Chile around the end of the past decade, exports worldwide have more than doubled since then and the North American deal is staging a comeback.
“Where the United States was once the No. 1 market and we suffered pretty fierce compe- tition from Chile, the data’s showing it’s still very much on our agenda,” says David Daniels, general manager for market development at Citrus Australia, an industry body based in Mildura. “[The U.S. market] was No. 4 last season behind China, Japan and Hong Kong and valued at around US$18.5 million.”
He says the balance is evenly split between Navels and Mandarins, while the industry hopes to ship more of the latter once Queensland Mandarins are granted access to the United States.
“The industry sentiment is there’s a strong
“If ever there was a year for U.S. retailers to invest time and money and effort into Australian citrus, this is probably the year to do it.” — Chris Deveney, Favco
Meyer lemons from Giumarra
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