Europe was not kind to the New Zealand apple industry last year. To be fair, the market wasn’t kind to many people, but for exporters in The Land of the Long White Cloud 2009 was a catalytic year, sparking action that beginning this year may significantly change the country’s approach to the European and UK apple markets.
With a lower harvest and Europe’s still price-shy markets combined, the season is looking to most of the country’s exporters to be as difficult as 2009. It is those difficulties that have made the industry begin to look at different approaches, which will this year begin with a cooperative Braeburn project in Europe.
The motivation behind this new project is to discover the primary drivers in the European Braeburn market, according to coordinator Richard Palmer. Mr Palmer, general manager of exporter Freshco Nelson and on Pipfruit New Zealand’s board of directors, said the initiative will help exporters understand how to set New Zealand apples apart in the minds of consumers and retailers.
“We’re looking at how New Zealand can differentiate itself, and leverage our difference from our competition,” he told Fruitnet.com. “New Zealand has the original, top quality Braeburn, we are consistent, reliable suppliers, and we deliver fruit grown in the most sustainable manner, and for retailers and consumers that should be a point of difference.
“It’s a matter of how we leverage that with this cooperation. Because based on last year’s returns, New Zealand’s Braeburn growers are not getting great money.”
The project is a cooperation between some of New Zealand’s largest exporters, and represents the majority of the country’s Braeburn export offering. Mr Palmer said the initiative is this year focusing on promotion in the trade and to retailers, but in the future is likely to directly target European consumers.
“We’re just now working on plans for the following season,” he stated. “What we’re setting about is not a short-term quest. To realise grower returns out of Braeburn and make sure we do differentiate ourselves from the competition, that’s an ongoing process. We’re thinking about broadening promotions, and whether we get to retail consumers is yet to be decided.”
The full version of this article appears in Eurofruit Magazine’s April edition.
