With orchards spanning Washington state from the Columbia River to the Canadian border, Domex Superfresh Growers offers a full range of apple varieties, including the Superfresh Organics line, proprietary Autumn Glory and Sunrise Magic apples, and the branded Cosmic Crisp.
The state’s shorter crop, while no surprise, has been evident in the early harvest, said Mike Preacher, vice president of marketing for Yakima, Wash.-based company.
“The industry has seen it coming, but our harvest has been tracking a couple weeks later than normal, and volumes are down significantly from last year,” Preacher said.
Through early September, fruit is down a size or two in general, but varies significantly by variety and lot.
“Quality looks good, and we are starting to see some cooler nights, which will support the high flavor and color the Pacific Northwest is known for,” Preacher said.
Despite the shorter crop, Superfresh Growers expects to ship year-round on key varieties such as Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp and gala.
“We accomplish this through careful planning and using the best technology available to ensure we are storing fruit effectively and packing it at the right time,” he said. “We should get to summer, as usual, with our organic apples and Autumn Glory.”
Preacher said delivering good condition is the top priority for Domex Superfresh Growers.
“We will do everything in our power to support promotion of the category and not waste fruit,” he said. “Optimizing season duration and apple sales will require careful planning and flexibility — a readiness to move promotions to where the fruit volume and size is.”
Marketing the crop
There are plenty of promotional opportunities available for the apple category this year, Preacher said.
“We are excited to be working ahead with retailers to help them promote our branded lineup of Superfresh Organics apples, which sport ‘stately purple’ [price look-up codes], bags and boxes that really catch the eye of consumers and store associates, “ he said. “We are also thrilled to be working with retailers around the world to help them extend the great momentum they have enjoyed on Cosmic Crisp apple and Autumn Glory apple.”
The range of flavors and colors that are available bodes well for the category, he said. “Cosmic Crisp is already proving its ability to positively impact the category for retailers.”
