Hello all,. An interesting article, and a really interesting set of comments made by growers. I am a great believer in diversity and choice. But I can also see that when more then 20 club varieties become available, that they will be seriously competing with each-other for shelf space. In such a situation, while internal competition between the growers of a particular variety may not be a problem in depressing prices, external competition, to actually get the shelf space, may have the same price-depressing effect. The key, as some commentators have already said, is to produce fruit with excellent eating qualities. Of course some varieties will be higher acid, some sweeter, some more aromatic, some with a more interesting colour, but if they taste well they will be eaten quickly, and people will be back for more all the sooner.
People really want to eat apples; they know how good they are for general health, but delivering poor quality is an invitation for the public to choose bananas or oranges instead. Mind you, the club system has something to offer here, as they set (and hopefully enforce) standards for the apples that bear their brand. At the moment in Ireland, at least 50% of the apple wall in Marks and Spencer (one of the high-end multiples) is dedicated to Pink Lady. Not a single Pink Lady is grown in Ireland (for climatic reasons), and perhaps only 5% of the apple display is given for Irish apples. Last week at a tasting I was conducting, people who tried the Irish apple (Elstar clone Elswout) were very impressed and bought it. The sales of Irish apples in those shops were ten times their normal volume during those days, but obviously, I can't give a sample to every person in Ireland. This proves the power of the Pink Lady club. People tried that apple once, probably in response to a poor experience with whatever they were eating before (most likely a Gala, Braeburn or Fuji), and have continued to buy due to consistency. The fruit display did not start with 50% Pink Lady. Pink Lady had to muscle its way in, but the more people bought them, the larger their proportion of the display area became. Some of those Pink Lady apples were selling at a euro each (more than one US dollar), which tells you just how much people will pay for a good apple. So what does this say about other retail channels? To my mind, people buy apples at the farmers market, not primarily because they can meet the farmer, but because they can get the quality they want. Such quality can also be delivered via supermarkets, but most fail to deliver it with a reliable consistency. I can only assume that this is at least partly because there is always a supermarket buyer seeking a cheaper option, and always a wholesaler or grower who has something that the need to sell fast, at whatever price they can get. If the clubs manage to remove this dynamic from the market, it will be good for everyone. However, they will still end up competing with each other to get onto the shelf in the first place. But at least the consumer should get better quality. Wishing you all best wishes for the turn of the season, Con Traas The Apple Farm Cahir, Ireland
