The apple industry has been warned that the race to get product to market could severely damage the fruit’s reputation and undo work done in healthy-eating campaigns.
Adrian Barlow, chief executive of English Apples & Pears, told freshinfo that growers and suppliers delivering apples into retailers earlier each year could put a dent in repeat purchases and even drive consumers away from fruit towards confectionery.
He said: “There should be no race to get the first English apples into retailers. Obviously, we want retailers to stock English apples, but only when they are mature and are of good eating quality.
“The difficulty with any sort of race, - and it may not be the supermarkets’ fault, as they have very good quality assurance people - is the danger that it will tempt people to win that race and compromise on eating quality.
“It could be dangerous for a category such as apples and pears, especially at the moment, when it has so many rivals within fruit, as well as confectionery.
“The very last thing we need is customer dissatisfaction. Every year, we have to discourage growers who attempt this as they want the prestige or to take the perceived advantage of high early-season prices.
“I am talking about the minority, not the majority, of English growers but it could have an adverse effect - we pride ourselves that we grow apples and pears that genuinely taste better than anywhere else in the world and this could potentially jeopardise that position.
“The English apple industry has come a huge distance since the late 1980s, when some produce that was not as good as it should have been was allowed to go on sale. There has been too much good work in changing this position and promoting via healthy eating to throw that away.”
However, one supermarket supplier told FPJ that growing conditions were the main reason for the first apples reaching retailers early: “In reality, the delivery of the bulk of the Discovery crop does not change much from year to year, but there is a cheerful rivalry between retailers for the ‘first to market’ achievement.
“There are orchards around that are in sun traps that will ripen a few apples at the top of the tree early. The first to market event is by no means announcing a commercial pick, but just a few special apples to herald what is to come.”
