Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/178281
to extract the maximum return to the grower," he said. We put the growers first. Mast said no good marketing organization would put company-grown fruit ahead of fruit from its individual growers. Fruit is sold according to its attributes in a manner that will derive the maximum benefit for the grower, he said. "It doesn't do us any good to export cherries that aren't going 5 to make the trip across the water. We try to ensure that we get the fruit to the best possible marketplace to achieve the m aximum value for that fruit. "There's not a savvy marketer out there that doesn't understand that we exist because of the growers, and it all starts with the growers trusting us to market their products," he added. "If they weren't taking the risk at the orchard level and growing the fruit, we would not have a job, so we do feel a very big r esponsibility to try to extract as much value to the land for the grower as we can. "We recognize it's their livelihood. It's the growers who take that risk and are out there at 2 a.m. turning on wind machines so they have frost protection, and who make all the sacrifices on a daily basis to bring us a crop of fruit to market." • There's still time! 0 UE %REST TE IN Marketers recognize that without growers they would have no jobs, says Bob Mast. Although marketers work out advanced commitments for fruit with their retail customers, some flexibility must be built into the agreements, he said. "Typically, when we set up an agreedupon price, we've got an understanding with the retailer that if the market goes up we have the ability to go up, and if it goes down, we have to move with the market as well," he said. "You have to be flexible and work with the retailer for the long-term interests of both parties. You can hold your line with the retailer and maintain that price for the committed time frame, but that doesn't mean that the next time pricing comes out, they will stick with you. They may go shop around." We are trying to maximize your returns. The produce department is an increasingly crowded environment with limited shelf space. "You used to have 300 to 400 items in the produce department, and now you have 1,000 to 1,200 items," Mast said. One way CMI tries to expand the display space for apples is by offering retailers an easy-to-assemble, freestanding secondary display that holds two boxes of apples and can be located outside the produce department. This season, the company introduced colorful pouch bags that contain two pounds of small apples or pears. Packaging the fruit this way makes hard-tosell sizes (113 and smaller apples) into a product that sells for perhaps a 50 percent p remium over bulk prices. Some growers might think that marketers are putting an inordinate amount of effort into promoting novel items or new varieties at the expense of the mainline varieties, Mast acknowledged. But he thinks such promotions bring excitement to the entire apple category and help increase its overall value. "We're always trying to find ways 4 www.goodfruit.com VAL ONANZA B SALE Call TODAY to get YOUR return tractor! T1520 LP* MODIFIED Burrows Tractor is YOUR 39" high 51" wide *at top of fender T1510 LP & T1520 LP developed exclusively by Burrows Tractor New Holland Certified PLM Specialist in the State of Washington Low profile • Fuel efficient • 60 mo. at 0% interest • 1,635-lb. 3-pt lift capacity Reliable 30- or 35-HP engine Ideal for weed spraying, mowing & binning out fruit. Good Fruit Grower OCTOBER 2013 23