Leading pipfuit supplier Oppy is poised to meet strong global demand for organic apples, as new season crops from the Southern Hemisphere come online.
Oppy’s Southern Hemisphere programme has already kicked-off with organic Royal Galas from Argentina, which will be complimented by fruit from Chile – including Granny Smiths and Red Delicious – over coming weeks.
New Zealand-grown Royal Gala, Fuji and Braeburn will be available from May, followed by Jazz and Pacific Rose in June. Cripps Pink and Fuji from Argentina and Chile will complete the programme.
“We’ve had a great response to the new crop, which is following the demand curve for high quality organic apples,” said Chris Ford, organic category manager at Oppy. “We have premium sizes available, providing a favourable alternative to the smaller size domestic apples coming out of controlled atmosphere now.”
The Organic Produce Network cited an 11 per cent increase in the global organic apple sales volume in 2017. With the Southern Hemisphere programme complementing Oppy’s organic apple shipments from Washington State –which features Jazz, Pacific Rose and Envy – the marketer looks well placed to capitalise on the category’s growth.
“We appreciate the opportunity to present import fruit produced by organic growers who are just as intent on delivering the highest quality eating experience as our domestic growers do,” said Ford.
The start of Oppy’s Southern Hemisphere apple programme was preceded by arrivals of Argentine pears in early March.
“We believe there’s a great opportunity for retailers to build their pear category by offering high quality import organics,” Ford said.
“Our programme is well-timed, as domestic stocks of popular varieties are winding down or have finished. We’re focused on familiar pears that drive the category, including Bosc, D’anjou and several types of Bartletts.”
