The English dessert apple sector is entering the last few months of its season in good shape, according to Adrian Barlow of promotional body English Apples & Pears.
"Selling is going according to plans and the industry is where it would expect to be in terms of stock levels on Cox," Barlow told freshinfo. "We expect the market to be strong and for English Cox to be available until the end of March as there is a general shortage of apples from the Continent because of the low crop harvested last year."
Concerns at the season's outset as to how Cox would perform in long-term storage this year have proved unfounded. "Some people were convinced we would encounter difficulties because of the high sugar levels of fruit, but that has not happened so far," said Barlow. "Now that Christmas is behind us, we are into supplies of the very best stored product and the very best quality Cox and if anythin,g as an industry we are feeling more confident than at any other point in the season so far."
The mood is just buoyant on Gala. "We have had the largest UK Gala crop ever and this is certainly the right season for it because of the problems some growers on the Continent have had with the variety," said Barlow. "In fact many of the multiples were asking the marketing organisations quite early in the season to plan to sell a greater proportion of their crop post-Christmas because of the shortfall in good quality supplies from the Continent."
English Gala should be available until later in the season this year, and not just because of the larger volumes. "It is hard to think that just five years ago, Gala went through only to the end of January, but now because of significant advances in storage techniques it will go through to March," said Barlow.
He also reported that Conference pear stocks are higher than last year but lower than at this point in 2002 and English Apples & Pears expects the market to remain reasonably strong until season's end.
No comments yet