The first significant shipments of New Zealand apples to the Chinese and Japanese markets have gone well for exporter Delica this year.
This season saw Delica, along with sister Turners & Growers’ group company Enza, send its first apples to Japan since 2008, and its first ever apples to the Chinese mainland, promoting the fruit in retailers in both countries.
Delica’s proprietary Envy and Jazz varieties had particular success in the two markets, despite Jazz traditionally being seen as too tart for Asian markets.
“I think `the success of Jazz` shows that the Asian consumer is more adventurous than people give them credit for,” Delica’s marketing manager Vicki Kinsey told Fruitnet.com. “They are very discerning and embrace new products; in many areas they are driving innovation forward.”
Delica’s opportunity in Japan came following the March tsunami and earthquake, which damaged locally produced fruit and opened space in the market. The market window came at the right time with respect to New Zealand’s protocol, explained Ms Kinsey.
“We have technically had market access to Japan since 2008,” she detailed. “Delica took part in a New Zealand industry trial that season and the feedback was good despite the small volume. We have been discussing with our customer since late 2009 and 2011 has been the earliest we could initiate this program based on the protocols.”
Despite the traditional Japanese demand for large apples, both Jazz and Envy did well, she said. Envy is itself a large apple, although not as large as Japanese Fujis, while Ms Kinsey said the medium-sized Jazz has other attributes that gave it consumer appeal.
The apples were marketed in supermarkets under the ‘Special Summer Taste From New Zealand’ banner.
Access to China had been upset by revised protocols last year, which required a total cease in New Zealand apple imports if any codling moth infestations were detected. That protocol was eased halfway through the New Zealand season to only require the suspension of any offending suppliers, lowering the risk for market entry.
“In order to fill demand, Delica had to supply mixed-variety containers as we didn’t gain direct access until halfway through season, and much of the fruit was gone by then,” said Ms Kinsey.
Chinese demand presents a bright future for New Zealand apple exporters, according to Jeff Wesley, managing director of Delica’s parent company Turners & Growers. The growth of middle class Chinese buyers is booming, he told Fruitnet.com, and those buyers were looking for branded products.
“Those people will be seeing a lot more branded apples on the shelf,” he predicted. “We’re expecting our exports to mainland China will be going up three times in apples.”
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