Supermarket Perimeter - May 2019 - 75

Produce

AS RETAILERS ANTICIPATE THE PEAKS OF THE APPLE AND PEAR
SEASONS, they should remember that when promoted properly, these
popular commodities can drive seasonal sales.
According to Nielsen data, apple sales were $3.77 billion last year,
which was down 2.8% from 2017.
But apples remain the No. 1-selling fruit commodity in dollars.
Honeycrisp has continued to ﬂourish and now accounts for the most
sales of any variety, while most of the other key varieties like gala, red
delicious, fuji and granny smith all declined in sales.
Pear sales still accounted for a reasonable $453 million in 2018, which
was up 2.7% from the previous year, according to Nielsen. Bartlett and
anjou increased dollar sales 5.8% and 2.9%, respectively.
Brianna Shales, communications manager for Stemilt Growers
Inc., Wenatchee, Washington, says chill is fortunately a non-issue in
Washington State and is certainly adequate this year.
"Spring started late, which will likely push bloom off, but it's all assumptions at this point," she says. "The 2018-19 apple crop was down
in volume as a state, and we expect a bigger crop in 2019-20, as long as
Mother Nature cooperates."
Washington saw one of the longer and harder winters it's had on
record, says Andy Tudor, vice president of business development for
Rainier Fruit Co., Yakima, Washington, which he says will delay the harvest window maybe seven to 10 days.
Chuck Sinks, president of sales and marketing for Sage Fruit Co.,
Yakima, Washington, says beginning late spring, and into the summer,
the company will have its Southern Hemisphere Breeze and Cheekie
apples available.
"New crop 2019 will also bring with it the industry-wide launch
of Cosmic Crisp apples," he says. "Several Sage Fruit growers will be
among those that harvest this new variety in 2019. Additionally, we will
have an increased volume of Smitten and Pazazz apples available for
the 2019-2020 apple season."
Sage Fruit Co. also is working on a redesign of its 3 lb pouch bag,
which will make its debut this summer.
New York saw a typical winter for its apple production this season,
says Cynthia Haskins, president of the Fishers-based New York Apple
Association.
"Temperatures and snow fall averages across the state were on par
with state averages, which can include up to 100 inches of snow in
a season in Western and Upstate New York and slightly less in other
regions of the state," she says.
Neal Carter, president of Okanagan Specialty Fruits Inc.,
Summerland, British Columbia, says the company projects
about 10,000 bins of its Arctic apples from the 2019 harvest,
roughly split 50/50 between two varieties: Arctic granny and
Arctic golden.
"We currently have close to 600 acres of Arctic apple trees in the
ground now and we anticipate that number will increase to more than
2,000 acres by the end of 2020," he says.

Chelan Fresh also has featured the Koru apple from New Zealand the
past two years and looks to promote it in 2019 as well.
"It's a combo Fuji and braeburn apple with a red ﬁnish," Riggan says.
"It's a ﬁrm, hard apple with a unique ﬂavor that stores well."
Though it's also not brand-new this year, Stemilt will have a bigger
crop of its signature Rave apple coming to stores in early August, says
Shales.
"This apple has honeycrisp parentage but ripens and harvests three
weeks before any apple in Washington State," she adds.
New York will offer retailers two popular managed varieties,
SnapDragon and RubyFrost, says Haskins of the New York Apple
Association.
"Both varieties were developed by Cornell University and are grown
exclusively in New York state by Crunch Time Apple Growers," she adds.
As for packaging, the New York Apple Association is debuting new,
eye-catching bags that showcase the new "Apples From New York" logo.
Carter of Okanagan Specialty Fruits says the company also is excited
to show off its new packaging with a fresh, updated look.
"Our Arctic apple fresh slices come in convenient, 10 oz grab-and-go
bags and our Arctic ApBitz dried apple snacks are available in 1 oz and 3
oz options," he says.
Honeycrisp apple supplies have grown signiﬁcantly across the industry, and their seasonality has lengthened, says Shales of Stemilt.
"There are many club apples on the scene that continue to grow in
volume," she adds. "Red delicious continues to decline as apples like
honeycrisp, Fuji, gala and granny smith have become the mainstays in
apples now."
Sinks of Sage Fruit Co. agrees, saying honeycrisp is always at the top
of the list as a consumer favorite.
"But this year, we saw an increase in demand for proprietary varieties
of apples, such as the Smitten too," he says. "Consumers are looking to
newer apple varieties that offer a broader ﬂavor proﬁle than what we
have traditionally found at the grocery store."
New for Okanagan
Specialty Fruits
are Arctic ApBitz
dried apple snacks,
which ship in 1 oz
and 3 oz options.

Specialty varieties gain market share
Mac Riggan, director of marketing for Chelan Fresh Marketing, Chelan,
Washington, says the company plans to have promotable, year-round
volumes of granny smith and honeycrisp apples this season.
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