The general consensus among growers and packers in the East is this upcoming season looks good. While early frost in Pennsylvania and New York could have meant a devastating year, by all accounts growers in the East, and their fruit, came through relatively unscathed.
“It’s definitely shaping up to be a good crop,” said Chris Sandwick, director of marketing at Hess Bros. Fruit Co., in Lancaster, Pa. “It will be very similar in size to last year. We have seen good return bloom on our key varieties: gala, honeycrisp and WildTwist, so we don’t anticipate any reduction in those crops.”
Crop size
And while a similar size crop to last year and similar reports from other regions around the country might mean a large apple crop nationwide, Sandwick said the thought of a large crop doesn’t worry the team at Hess Bros. Instead, Hess Bros. sees it as a great opportunity to provide apples to the packer’s customers year-round.
“We anticipate it being another busy year,” he said. “We like having a year-round supply for our customers wherever we can. So, a big crop doesn’t scare us.”
John King, account representative for Niagara Fresh Fruit Co., in Burt, N.Y., which is near Buffalo, N.Y., said he expects this year’s crop in western New York to fare much better than the 2023 crop when a late freeze hit the fruit already set and affected the finish of the final crop.
He said the crop looks slightly above 2023 in size but could also be more likely an average crop. Western New York experienced a good amount of rain, which will help with both fruit size and crop size. The one thing all Eastern growers know is that the overall harvest output often comes down to weather.
“We’re hearing some the hotter temperatures [in late summer] could affect the quality and the finish of some of the fruit and maybe size,” he said.
Cynthia Haskins, president and CEO of the New York Apple Association, said with the warm temperatures, harvest around the state is early this year, about six or seven days ahead. She said the state’s growers will produce about 32,500 to 32,700 bushels of apples this year, which is about 2.5 million more bushels than last year.
“It is truly a beautiful crop,” she said. “We have a solid mix of larger and smaller fruit — New York State is the one-stop source for apples.”
Haskins said growers in New York — which grow about 32 varieties commercially — start the season in mid-August with ginger gold, paula red, jonamac, zestar and then followed by mcintosh, gala, honeycrisp, cortland, macoun, empire and red delicious. Club varieties SweeTango, SnapDragon RubyFrost and EverCrisp join Rome, braeburn and fuji later in the season, which ends in November.
Brenda Briggs, vice president of sales and marketing for Gardners, Pa.-based Rice Fruit Co., reported harvest has already begun for Wildfire gala, honeycrisp and ginger gold in the Keystone State.
“The buzz of tractors and the hum of orchard activity are welcome sounds as we bring in our first varieties,” she said. “Growers are continually monitoring weather, fruit color, quality and size while working simultaneously with our grower team to monitor the maturity and timing of upcoming varieties.”
Why Eastern apples?
Briggs said apples grown in the East have warm days and cool nights to help develop sweetness and crispness.
“Eastern apples are distinguished by their unique flavor profiles, which are influenced by the region’s distinct climate and soil conditions,” she said. “Additionally, our commitment to sustainable farming practices and innovative packing technology ensures that our Pennsylvania-grown apples stand out for their superior taste and quality.”
King says the proximity of western New York to Lake Ontario also benefits both growers and the apples they produce.
“It’s the lake that really helps buffer us against any drastic weather changes,” he said. “Typically, harvest time gets some really good weather. We’ve seen a number of years where we’re in that mid-70s to upper 70s, and then low 50s or mid-50s temperatures overnight. That’s where we really get the size, the color and the sugar content in our fruit. That’s probably the biggest thing that sets our apples apart, is the flavor and the quality that we can get just from their growing conditions in our region.”
Haskins says location, too, plays a big part in making Eastern apples so great.
“We are located closer to many of the densely populated cities and the many communities in between,” she said. “Our apple shippers have a good range of packaging options from poly bags to pouches to totes and tray packs for the consumer who enjoys hand-selecting their apples.”
Trends
Speaking of the consumer, Briggs said Rice Fruit Co. has seen a shift in demand for newer club varieties, such as SnapDragon, EverCrisp and Lemonade.
“Consumers are seeking diversity in flavors and culinary uses, and these newer varieties offer unique flavor profiles, vibrant colors and superior shelf life,” she said. “This shift toward modern varieties reflects a broader consumer trend favoring high-quality, flavorful fruits with distinct characteristics, as well as a growing interest in innovative, healthful and convenient food options.”
Sandwick said while there are subtle shifts in consumers’ preferences, including WildTwist, he said gala, fuji, honeycrisp and granny smith still hold the lion’s share of Hess Bros. Fruit Co.’s shipments. He said many consumers, especially in the East, have a strong loyalty to more traditional varieties like mcintosh or empire. And he said retailers and growers need to understand that loyalty has been built over a significant amount of time when there were fewer choices and the loyalty that will come with the new varieties on the market will take time.
“We need to recognize that it’s going to take time to build up that same level of loyalty that these old varieties have achieved, and we have to try and be patient with that which is difficult,” he said. “These newer varieties may not be ramping up as quickly as everyone wants them to, but I do think we are achieving growth.”
King said he’s noticed a slight downward trend with fuji in the “big three” — fuji, honeycrisp and gala. But traditional varieties such as cortland sold well last year.
“Even this past year, Red Delicious actually moved pretty well,” he said.
Promotions
Sandwick says it’s important as marketers of apples not to ask retailers to do too much at once.
“We try very hard to focus our promotional activities with our retail partners on one or two key items during certain windows of time where we think those items have the best chance of success,” he said.
He said marketers learned a valuable lesson from last season that with a large apple crop, reduced pricing didn’t help move as much volume as everyone hoped for. And reduced pricing isn’t a long-term solution for growers and retailers.
“I think what we saw last year was too much panic-driven promotion, and hopefully this year, with lessons learned, we’ll see more rational promotion and better sustainable return for the growers,” he said.
King said New York growers have partnered with influencers to help promote club varieties such as SnapDragon and RubyFrost. He said SnapDragon is the official apple of the Buffalo Bills.
“We’re outside the home games and down at One Bills Drive handing out samples and trying to make people more aware of this variety and grow that club presence,” he said. “To show people that this is exclusive to New York and you’re supporting New York growers by helping this apple stand out.”
And Haskins said the New York Apple Association will formally roll out its “The Big Flavor” campaign this season. She said the association will deploy this campaign through promotions, education and advertising. She said the goal is to “expand New York’s thriving reputation for growing apples with The Big Flavor.”
Haskins said NYAA has retail promotions lined up for the fall and will feature “The Big Flavor” campaign in its social media and trade ads to encourage consumers to purchase New York Apples.
The association’s spokespuppet, Bob for Apples from New York, will also be featured prominently this fall in new videos, she said. The association won best in show from the American Advertising Federation’s Greater Rochester American Advertising Awards for Bob for Apples from New York. The social media and digital campaign resulted in 45,347,126 impressions in the past year, Haskins said.
“It is all about building awareness for New York apples and Bob for Apples from New York brings a cleverness and playfulness for the whole family,” she said.
Marketing tips
While apple consumption has continued to plateau, marketers look to innovative ways to help drive more purchases. Haskins said the association will modify its “The Big Flavor” campaign to include the tagline “The Big Flavor — Wellness Never Tasted So Good.”
“There is a lot of evidence-based research that provides credible reasons for consumers to add apples to their diets, from linking apple consumption to weight loss to boosting heart health and serving as an excellent source of dietary fiber,” she said. “In addition, apples are healthy sources of antioxidants, which have been linked to disease prevention.”
King agrees, saying that touting the health benefits of apples can help attract younger generations — millennials and Generation Z — who focus on making healthier choices. King said many younger consumers also opt for more online shopping.
“One of our retailers talked about online purchases through their company and how they’ve increased drastically over the past couple of years, especially since COVID,” he said.
This is where packers can look to add more 3-pound bags and other grab-and-go options for both the online shopper and the convenience shopper. He says marketers can also help promote apples on the platforms these shoppers use to help drive sales.
King said retailers definitely need to think about catching the consumers’ eye with fall apple displays.
“It’s the first thing they see when they walk in a store is this vibrant display of apples,” he said. “Whether it’s 20 different varieties or five, just that assortment of color from a green or a bi-color or a red apple, it really stands out.”
Briggs said retailers should think about promoting about five to seven varieties to meet the differing preferences of consumers. She said it’s also important for retailers to highlight the unique flavor profiles of the apples on display to help consumers better familiarize themselves with newer varieties. And cross-promotion with cheeses, nuts, artisanal bread and local wines can also help drive sales.
“Retailers can boost apple sales while elevating the shopping experience through curated displays that inspire consumers to incorporate apples into their meals for salads or desserts, positioning additional key ingredients close to their apple displays while highlighting a featured recipe idea,” she said.
And retailers shouldn’t overlook the tried-and-true taste-testing, King said, especially for newer varieties. He said it’s a challenge for retailers to staff taste-testing areas when labor is tough to come by.
“It’s hard to justify for them to have someone sit there and do sampling when they can be doing something else a little more productive for them,” he said. “If we could find somebody that could visit two to three stores a week in certain areas and geographical locations and do sampling and provide information of where their fruit came from, how it’s grown and make that personal connection that’ll help drive sales as well.”
