Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/514197
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER JUNE 2015 9 J ohn Rice made an important point when he spoke to growers at the International Fruit Tree Association winter meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in February. He read a list. It contained, in alphabetical order, the names of 54 new and club apple varieties consumers are being introduced to. The list started with Ambrosia and Ariane and ended with Zestar and Zonga. Spice of life? "I know variety is the spice of life, and there are prob- ably some great apples in this list," said Rice, who is vice president for sales at Rice Fruit Company in Gardners, Pennsylvania. "In fact, I know there are. But the thing that worries me as a marketer is knowing that most of this drive to plant and produce new varieties is produc- er-driven rather than consumer-driven. It is not driven by some pent up consumer demand that we are not currently fulfilling. "The consumer did want something better than Red Delicious. Our industry came up with six or eight different varieties that were consid- erably better. The consumer is not asking for 50 more. And I can tell you that the major retailers are not asking for that many." Rice Fruit Company is a grower, packer, and marketer that supplies 3 million boxes of apples annually. Along with Columbia Marketing International in Washington and Applewood in Michigan, it co-manages Kiku, a branded Fuji sport. The motivation behind growing club varieties is to achieve a premium price by growing a better apple and then carefully managing the quality by limiting the peo- ple who grow and pack it to a select few, he said. "With our managed Kiku brand, we have quite successfully maintained our quality and a premium price," he said. That price has not been as high as Honeycrisp in the past, but is well above the price of Red Delicious and Gala. Rice doubts that any new variety is likely to overtake Honeycrisp at this point. As people tried Honeycrisp, "an amazing number of people were totally converted—saying it was the only apple they ever expected to buy again," he said. Rice thinks that other amazing apples are possible and that the Kiku is one of them. He thinks that the fact that people have been willing to pay such high prices for Honeycrisp makes it more likely that they will pay a premium price for another amazing apple. But, he says, there are probably not 54 ways for apples The proliferation of new varieties is producer driven, not a result of pent-up consumer demand. by Richard Lehnert Continued on Page 13 TJ MULLINAX/GOOD FRUIT GROWER Apple consumers today find an abundance of choices on supermarket shelves. ® Aztec Fuji (DT-2 cv) Red Rubens U.S.P.P. # 14177 F A C E S O F T H E F U T U R E Number 1 Red Fuji planted today. Its red blush is the color standard for all Red Fuji selections, even in areas where color is difficult to obtain. A sport of Cripps Pink from New Zealand that delivers red blushed fruit with pure white flesh and typical Cripps Pink sweet-tart flavor. Trademark licenses for Pink Lady ® brand available upon request. Lady in Red U.S.P.P. # 18787 A Gala/Elstar cross from Italy that combines intense flavor with a pleasing, juicy, sweetness that's wrapped in an appealing scarlet package. The proven "one-pick" Gala strain that delivers deep red stripes and fuller red color. A Van Well Nursery exclusive introduction. ® Gale Gala (Malaga cv.) U.S.P.P. # 10114 Order Now for 2016 Delivery and Beyond! Visit our Website, vanwell.net, for complete Variety, Cultivar and Plant Patent information!