The consumer media must understand that traditional apple varieties can only play a niche role in the future of the industry, according to Adrian Barlow, chief executive of English Apples & Pears (EAP).
He told FPJ: “Over the last four years, the media has developed its support for the English industry on the basis of increased consumer demand. There has been a huge boost in demand for local supply and the multiples deserve a great deal of credit for recognising that and supporting the industry.
“But against that, it is quite extraordinary that there is, at times, a preoccupation on behalf of the media with old varieties. They have a niche market, but the future of the industry has to be in modern, high-yielding, great-tasting and looking varieties with high gradeouts.”
The suggestion that traditional old varieties should play anything other than a niche role in the industry’s future is “misleading and erroneous”, said Barlow, and it will cause people to overlook the great strides in investment the sector has made over the last few years.
Barlow also stressed how important it was for the consumer media to understand that the supermarkets do, and always will, make up the bulk of the UK apple market.
“The consumer media has to understand that 80 per cent of sales go through the multiples. Nobody is suggesting that niche varieties and farmers’ shops are not important, but they only stand for 10 per cent of total English apples sales. We cannot possibly concentrate our future on that,” he added.
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