OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Sage Fruit Co. had good news for retail attendees at the Associated Wholesale Grocers’ seventh annual Innovation Showcase, March 25-26.
“We are getting through the season in good shape, and there are a lot of good supplies to offer retailers for promotional opportunities,” said Kevin Steiner, president of business development and marketing for Yakima, Wash.-based Sage Fruit Co.
Sage Fruit has a plentiful supply of popular varieties such as Honeycrisp, granny smith and Cosmic Crisp, Steiner said. What’s more, Sage Fruit will have supply of the premium SugarBee variety apples into the summer for the first time.
“We have really good promotional opportunities,” he said.
Great expectations are ahead, with cherries blooming in Washington state in late March, he added.
Apple time
Pricing data from the UDSA indicates greater promotional activity for apples in March compared with a year ago.
The USDA reported that the average promotional advertised price for Honeycrisp apples on March 22 was $1.79 per pound, down from $2.10 per pound the same time a year ago.
For granny smith apples, the USDA reported an advertised price of $1.39 per pound, down from $1.86 per pound at the same time a year ago.
Total apple movement was well above year-ago levels, according to the USDA.
For the week of March 17-23, the USDA reported total U.S. apple shipments of 3,595 (40,000-pound) truckloads, up 24% from 2,893 truckloads for the same week a year ago. Including export shipments, Washington apple shippers accounted for 85% of U.S. fresh apple volume in late March, according to the USDA.
