Importers of New Zealand pipfruit report outstanding quality on taylor’s gold pears and other apple and pear varieties.
New Zealand growers were taking advantage of lower supplies of domestically grown and imported bosc pears in the U.S. and filling the gap with their taylor’s gold-variety pears, said David Nelley, pipfruit category manager for Vancouver, British Columbia-based The Oppenheimer Group.
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Photos courtesy The Oppenheimer Group |
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Volumes of taylor’s gold pear shipments are increasing this season, reports David Nelley, pipfruit category manager for The Oppenheimer Group. |
“We’re selling a lot more taylor’s a lot earlier this year,” Nelley said.
In addition to the market opportunity with the lower bosc supplies, quality also was helping to move more taylor’s golds in 2010, Nelley said.
“It’s a vintage year in terms of quality, which doesn’t happen a lot,” he said.
Tom Richardson, general manager of Wenatchee, Wash.-based Giumarra of Wenatchee, shared Nelley’s enthusiasm for the taylor’s golds from New Zealand.
“They may be the best I’ve ever tasted,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of feedback on how good the eating quality has been.”
Kroger and Whole Foods were among the U.S. retailers making a big push on taylor’s golds this spring and summer, Nelley said.
In early June, taylor’s gold and comice pears made up about 80% of total New Zealand pear export volume to the U.S., he said. Both varieties were expected to ship through July. Volume was up on both varieties.
“The pear market is very good,” Richardson said.
Giumarra expected to have taylor’s gold supplies until mid-July. Volumes of the variety will be similar to last year or up just slightly, he said. The company also expected its New Zealand boscs to ship into summer.
Apple volumes rising
On the apple side, Oppenheimer expects its North American volumes of imported Jazz apples from New Zealand to increase by about 30% this season, Nelley said.
The New Zealand Jazz trees, now six or seven years old, are beginning to come into their prime.
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The Oppenheimer Group expects to ship 30% more Jazz apples to North America this season. |
“The older the trees get, the better the quality,” he said. “They’re eating great this year.”
Braeburn volumes to the U.S. should be about the same as last year, Nelley said. Oppenheimer also is importing galas, pink ladys, granny smiths and fujis this year.
The last week of June, Giumarra of Wenatchee will bring in its first batch of a new variety, Divine, a cross between a golden delicious and a grive rouge, Richardson said.
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