Pink Lady growers are hoping to hit 800,000 tonnes of production worldwide in the next 10 years as awareness and consumption continues to rise rapidly in the UK.
In an update on the progress of the brand at Fruit Logistica, Thierry Mellenotte, director of Pink Lady Europe, set out the ambitious plans, which will see the apple increase in production from 350,000t last year to 800,000t by 2020.
Mellenotte said there had been 14,200 hectares of the premium apple planted globally last year and that South Africa and Chile were the countries with the greatest potential to increase production in the future.
The brand will this year increase its advertising, on television and the print media, across Europe, and it was revealed that 75 per cent of retailers stocking Pink Lady have been involved in promotional activities.
Andy MacDonald, managing director of Coregeo, the brand manager for Pink Lady in the UK, said the apple had enjoyed a strong year in the UK. Pink Lady featured in a collaboration with the musical Grease, 55,000 apples were provided for the London marathon and the fruit travelled the country in a branded Mini Clubman.
Brand penetration in the UK has increased to around 50-60 per cent.
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