This year's overseas apple marketing season is now gradually picking up speed. "We started in calendar week 18 with Royal Gala, followed by Granny Smith in calendar week 19 and Braeburn from calendar week 21. The first Pink Lady apples are also already being shipped and are expected to supplement the range from calendar week 23. Certain varieties, including Granny Smith, are in good supply in the Northern Hemisphere, so the overseas season is shifting slightly. Added to this are the usual shipping delays in the first two weeks of the season. Overall, however, the campaign is proceeding according to plan," reports Patrick Sperl, Managing Director and Product Manager for Overseas Apples at Cobana GmbH & Co. KG, based in Hamburg.
Royal Gala and Granny Smith from the Southern Hemisphere are usually available in German retail stores until mid- to late August, while Braeburn is available until the end of September. Pink Lady may even be available until early November, Sperl outlines the rest of the season. "The price structure in the first weeks of sales has been quite stable and is almost at the same level as last year." Sales of all overseas apples to date are roughly in line with the multi-year average. Although food retailers are running certain promotions, advertising frequency for overseas apples is generally rather modest. We have noticed that in summer, particularly seasonal fruit is actively promoted."
© CobanaThe climatic conditions in the Southern Hemisphere have been quite optimal for apple growth, so that mostly good sizes are available.
New Zealand loses market share to Chile and South Africa
New Zealand apple exporters are increasingly turning to new markets such as Asia, while export volumes to Europe continue to decline. Accordingly, the two sourcing countries, South Africa and Chile, are tending to gain importance in Europe. Sperl: "In the case of Royal Gala, the three countries of origin now share the market, whereas New Zealand's market share used to be as high as 80 percent. We are seeing a similar trend with Braeburn: New Zealand is still the most important sourcing country with around 60 percent, but South Africa (40 percent) has been catching up strongly for several years. Chile and South Africa dominate the market for Pink Lady, while New Zealand has only played a supplementary role for years."
© Cobana
New cultivation methods, larger sizes
Meanwhile, Sperl confirms that a technological change is taking place in the Southern Hemisphere. "New apple orchards in South Africa and Chile are being equipped with state-of-the-art cultivation technology to increase efficiency and tonnage per hectare accordingly. This development is already bearing fruit, with the proportion of large-sized apples from overseas tending to rise, whereas until a few years ago, smaller fruits predominated on the European export market. This trend toward new, mechanized cultivation methods will continue in the coming years," he concludes.
For more information:
Patrick Sperl
Cobana GmbH & Co. KG
Neue Burg 2
20457 Hamburg
Tel: +49 40/30 30 5-241
ps@cobana.com
www.cobana.com