Bountiful apple crop brings opportunities — and a challenge to grow consumption
The U.S. Apple Association said inventories as of December 2023 were up about 33% over this same time last year. Buoyed by a supersized crop this year, marketers say this season promises to offer retailers ample opportunities to put the spotlight on apples.
To get a pulse on the apple industry, The Packer interviewed growers and packers in key apple-producing states — such as Pennsylvania — to learn about the opportunities available for retailers this season.
Related: Following another large crop, Michigan apple experts offer insight for retailers
Pennsylvania
Ryan Hess, owner of Lancaster, Pa.-based Hess Bros. Fruit, said it was a large crop for Pennsylvania growers. (Hess Bros. also works with New York-based growers.)
“From the beginning, they knew that they had a very large crop, and it picked longer than they even expected,” he said. “The fruit quality was good, not perfect.”
The Keystone State experienced frost, freeze, droughts and big rains. Growers saw cosmetic issues on certain varieties such as Honeycrisp and fuji.
“I would say growers are nervous because the process markets were very unsettled,” Hess said. “A lot of people didn’t pick their entire crop because they didn’t have a place to sell it all.”
Chris Sandwick, director of marketing at Hess Bros., said a large nationwide crop isn’t something new.
“We are all aware of the expansion that’s been happening in the industry,” Sandwick said. “We knew we were finally going to hit a season where everyone had a full crop with new production. It’s not to say that this year isn’t a little jarring, but it certainly shouldn’t come as a surprise.”
Related: Washington's apple crop rebounds, giving retailers promotion opportunities aplenty
Variety report
Galas and Honeycrisp are the main staples for Hess Bros.
“We’re selling more than half of our day-to-day sales this time of the year in galas and Honeycrisp,” Hess said.
WildTwist, a cross of cripps pink and Honeycrisp, is a newer variety that continues to grow in popularity and demand, Sandwick said.
“We’re at the point where we’re starting to do more things in the market and build a national program,” he said. “That crop is also up. And in this case, we’re excited about that because we need more fruit to supply an excited and loyal customer base.”
Marketing
Sandwick said WildTwist will be a major focus of Hess Brother’s marketing efforts this year.
“We’ve really been able to shortcut consumer decision-making by letting them know that this is the product of two apples they already know and love,” he said. “That’s helped us move past some of the customer confusion that comes from introducing a new product.”
Sandwick said a strength in the marketing plan is a collaboration with Selah, Wash.-based Rainier Fruit, offering West Coast production and sales of WildTwist.
“The long-term vision is to have bi-coastal production so that we can offer a national supply to national retailers,” he said.
Increasing consumption
With a large crop and consumption that’s been relatively unchanged, apple marketers across the country said there is a strong need to boost the consumption of fresh apples in this country.
“Everyone’s focus is just finding homes for this mammoth crop,” said Rochelle Bohm, vice president of marketing with Wenatchee, Wash.-based CMI Orchards. “This could be a very real number that we see more often. We need to figure out ways to move this many apples through the pipeline.”
Sandwick agrees, noting a nationwide effort to increase consumption could pay big dividends for the apple industry.
“The ability of individual retailers and individual sellers to grow consumption is capped,” he said. “Where that push really needs to come from is from an industrywide standpoint. Not in a ‘one-to-one seller-to-retailer, can I get more shelf space’ conversation. If we truly are going to grow consumption in this country, we have to work together as an industry. And that will take some time and some effort.”
Don Roper, vice president of sales and marketing for Elgin, Minn.-based Wescott Agri Products, famous for Honeybear-brand apples, is optimistic about the new varieties offered by marketers, which will, in turn, create excitement and demand.
“We have to earn that square footage of retail deck in the grocery store by having really good products that drive consumption,” he said. “And the more we sell, the more money we make, the more willing the retailer is to give us square feet.”
