The Bramley season has seen an encouraging balance between demand and supply this year, but growers’ bank balances are not looking quite so rosy as the campaign nears its end.
Adrian Barlow, chief executive of English Apples & Pears told FPJ that Bramley has been dragged into the price conundrum facing the entire category. “Bramley growers have been caught up in the overall price difficulties and despite the balanced supply situation, returns are only a little above breaking even - there really is no reason for that,” he said.
“We know that Bramley is not a price-elastic variety. Price cuts have a negligible effect on sales. Obviously we don’t want prices to be too high for the marketplace, but there is certainly room for them to rise. The retail price has not dropped significantly, it is the returns back down the chain that have been compressed, while costs have increased significantly.”
A 2-3p a kilo increase in returns would make a big difference, Barlow said, adding that while he does not envisage Bramley growers grubbing up in their droves, the industry is being pushed towards the precipice.
“There is no sound logic to support [a pricing policy] that is simply jeopardising the future. There just isn’t enough profit being made by growers to enable them to reinvest in their orchards. A reduction in quality is the last thing any of us want and we need people to be replanting orchards and enhancing management techniques to ensure that, in five years time, quality has not diminished in any way.”
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