Didier Crabos, president of the Pink Lady Association Europe reports that year on year, the UK market has grown by 45 per cent and the German market for the premium apple brand has doubled.

Fruit availability from European producer countries France, Italy and Spain is expected until early May. 'We have still have 20 per cent of the season remaining,' said Crabos, 'and fruit in stocks to see us into May, but we are more advanced through our stocks at this stage than last season and than we had anticipated at the start of thisseason.' US crop volumes have been severely affected by adverse weather conditions and this has had a knock-on effect on the European Pink Lady scene. 'Despite the weakened presence of US fruit on the market, we have managed to keep to the action plan we developed for communication and promotion at the beginning of the season,' said Crabos. 'When you have a new variety in development, it is important to have availability and so we have really mobilised the supply chain to ensure that.' As a result, the challenge into May will be to fit markets' required size profiles for fruit from the remainder.

The two-pronged Pink Lady campaign effort, which has focused on raising public awareness of the variety and working closely with stores on promotion, is clearly producing dividends as research indicates Pink Lady consumers are brand loyal. The association has also been honoured with a marketing award in France this year.

Potential volumes are forecast to increase 30 per cent in the 2003-04 crop year in Europe as new plantings come on stream, but this growth is likely to stabilise from about 2005 onwards to five to seven per cent year on year. 'This would be the natural rhythm we would expect from a variety once it is established on the market,' said Crabos.