A big increase is expected in Washington’s organic Cosmic Crisp apple volume this fall, says Brianna Shales, marketing director for Wenatchee, Wash.-based Stemilt Growers.
“Looking ahead to the fall, we are going to see a big increase in organic Cosmic Crisp as orchards come into organic production,” Shales said. “It’s going to be a game changer for the organic apple category by bringing flavor, consistency, and year-round supply. The volume is finally there to start making this a top apple variety organically.”
Stemilt also is expanding its four-count sustainable pack for organics to include additional varieties, she said, adding that retailers are finding success selling large-sized fruits in the paper four-packs, while ensuring they get the premium ring that organic fruit demands.
Approximately 30% of Stemilt’s entire tree fruit volume is grown and certified organic, Shales said.
“Organic apples make up a large portion of our organics, and we are a leader in the hard-to-grow organic pears and cherries,” she said. “Our entire stone fruit program (peaches and nectarines) is organic.”
Stemilt also is fully certified with the Equitable Food Initiative.
“We are the only tree fruit company to have EFI certifications at all of our warehouses and orchards,” Shales said. “This puts continuous improvement teams and practices into our operations and ensures the supply chain that our fruits are ‘Responsibly Grown, Farmworker Assured.’”
New crop outlook
While Stemilt is down on organic apples year over year, the 2023 crop was large and the marketer expects great promotion opportunities on organics in the 2024-25 season.
“We have a 40% increase on organic pears, and Stemilt is a unicorn in that,” Shales said. “The pear crop is down, but our increase in organics leaves the door open for more organic pear promotion.”
Cosmic Crisp organic volume will be up significantly, and SweeTango is back on track after less volume last year. In contrast, Honeycrisp volume in 2024 is expected to be down nearly 17% compared with the 2023 crop, she said.
“We will varietal changes in promotions on organic apples as some apples that were widely promoted last year are down in volume, while others are up,” Shales said.
The mix of available organic apple varieties keeps improving, she said. “This consistency and high flavor will help delight consumers and drive repeat purchases.”
