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English apples bite back
As autumn kicks off, and with it the English Apple season, the domestic trade can look forward to buoyant sales of Gala, Cox, Spartan and Egremont Russet, as supermarkets increasingly back home-grown produce, and apple imports decline at this peak time of year.
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| "Consumers want to buy home-grown foods, and we know they will be looking out for our Union Jack logo. |
Adrian Barlow, chief executive of English Apples and Pears, said: This season we are expecting tremendous support, and for two reasons. Firstly, retailers themselves, given the concerns expressed about carbon emissions, food air miles and the affect on the environment, are keen to sell an increased level of local produce. And secondly, consumers want to buy home-grown foods, and we know they will be looking out for our Union Jack logo.
The trends will be more evident this season than last, according to Barlow, relating that in 2005 Sainsburys contracted a merchandising team to display all of its English apples as soon as the season started. This was very effective for introducing a fast change-over from the foreign apples, and I know that this year none of the other multiples wants to be out-shone, he said.
In addition to any support the multiples provide, English Apples and Pears also has plans for both a two-week advertising campaign on radio; and a press campaign through eight different magazines, focusing on the theme: English apples for everyone.
However, for the long-term, the prognosis for the English apple market is discouraging. Domestic production continues to decline, although the consumer appetite for premium dessert apples doesnt, and as a result, imports are still rising and the competition is becoming increasingly fierce.
For the year July 2004-June 2005, for example, 80% of the 630,000 tonnes of fresh apples consumed in the UK were imports, this was 6% higher than the year before, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. It reports the main players vying for market share in the UK are France, South Africa and New Zealand, which between them supply about two-thirds of the apple volume entering the U.K.
Moreover, the US, traditionally the fourth largest foreign supplier, to the UK has been dramatically increasing its shipments up 13% between 2002 and 2004 and following closely in volume are apples from Italy (a key supplier of organic fruit) and Chile.
The real threat, however, according to Barlow, is from China which is increasingly expected to become a dominant fixture in the UKs fresh fruit sector as its apple industry works toward meeting EU standards and improving quality, food safety, variety and packaging.
Barlow said: At the moment the main import we have from China is the Fuji apple. But China is working on producing the three varieties Gala, Cripps Pink (a variant of Pink Lady) and Granny Smith that make up 40% of the European market.
He adds: Recently UK producers have marginally increased plantings and they are now exploring some new varieties. But the UK apple industry will survive only for as long as the multiples continue to back them.
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