Leading French apple exporter Blue Whale exported 10 per cent more Royal Gala to Asia so far this season.
The firm experienced strong demand for the variety in its main Asian markets despite the presence of high volumes of cheap Chinese apples, says export manager Marc Peyres.
The euro/dollar exchange rate also favoured French exporters, he says.
Royal Gala exports to Asia finished a month earlier than usual due to the effects of a heatwave in June last year which affected the shelf life of some of the crop.
“We didn’t want to risk quality issues,” Peyres explains. “It was a good choice to finish earlier.”
Speaking in February at the Fruit Logistica trade show, Peyres said the company had Granny, Golden, Fuji and Pink Lady volumes left to sell in Asia.
“We are developing Pink Lady in Asia. We had good quality this year and exported greater volumes than last year: some 2m tonnes. We are very happy with our campaign to Asia this season.
“We were lucky with our harvest and our market. We did 10 per cent more to Asia this season.”
Blue Whale is launching its variety Joya in Dubai, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam in March. “We are doing about 10 containers, so small volumes,” says Peyres.
The firm also introduced the new French variety Blue Reine in France and Spain this season. It is also marketing the New Zealand Rockit in France for the variety owners.
Sales of Blue Whale’s exclusive Gala hybrid Nova Blue went well last year, adds Peyres. It is a premium variety for high-end markets, he explains. “We are selling to top-of-the-range retailers in the Middle East, China, Taiwan and Singapore. It is firmer and has more colour than the traditional Gala variety.”
Blue Whale’s apple portfolio expansion reflects a global trend in varietal diversity, says Peyres.
“There are new varieties appearing on markets from everywhere: Italy, the US, France and New Zealand. There is an explosion of new projects,” he says. “The new varieties available used to be mainly Gala and Pink Lady. The new challenge is which projects we should choose to develop, as we can’t do them all; and how to market new varieties with all the competition.”
Blue Whale’s response is to invest in marketing, Peyres reveals. “My marketing budget will double over the next few years for Asia. We are recruiting a new marketing person in Singapore and a new one in Montauban, France.
We hope we will continue to grow. India has potential as an export market for French apples, and so do other places.”
Meanwhile, Cardell Export is enjoying great success with its exclusive organic apple variety Juliet.
The fruit is selling well in all markets, according to the company's Pascal Corbel, thanks to its reliable quality, sweet taste and juiciness.
'People know it is a good product,' he says. 'It is particularly popular with kids.'
The company expects to market around 12m tonnes of Juliet in the near future as new plantings bear fruit.
'We are experiencing growing demand for Juliet in Europe and Asia.'
Speaking at the Fruit Logistica trade show in early February, Corbel said Cardell’s overseas Royal Gala export season was coming to an end, almost one month earlier than usual.
He attributed the difference to the unseasonably hot weather France experienced in June last year, which affected the shelf life and durability of the Royal Gala crop.
'The summer heatwave did impact the product, but we have been very selective in which fruit we sent to Asia, and now we have nearly nothing left.'
