Sage Fruit Co. planning for organic expansion
Though hot temperatures in Washington state orchards last summer held back organic output for the 2021 crop, Yakima, Wash.-based Sage Fruit Co. is planning for long-term expansion of its organic program, said Chuck Sinks, president of sales and marketing.
“Our organic program is continuing to grow,” Sinks said. “Not only are we planting new acreage of organic orchards, but we are actively transitioning many of our conventional orchards.”
While the company’s current market focus is on apples and pears, Sage Fruit is also beginning to plan for the 2022 cherry season, Sink said.
“Our promotable apple and pear varieties include granny smith, gala, fuji, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, bosc, d’anjou and bartlett,” he said. “Overall, our organics make up about 18% of our total crop, but that number continues to grow.”
In addition, this season brings Sage Fruit its first availability of organic Cosmic Crisp.
“Our most sought-out organic item by retailers is organic Honeycrisp, but organic gala and fuji don’t fall too far behind,” Sinks said. “Organic Honeycrisp is a high-end consumer favorite, which has an excellent ring at the register.” Organic gala and fuji are an excellent option for the everyday, organic consumer because they are more price-friendly, he said.
Heating up
Looking ahead, Sinks said the biggest concern is how the heat from the summer of 2021 has affected organic apple trees for the 2022 season. In addition, the marketer is watching the quality of the fruit in storage.
“While we’re seeing some issues in the fruit that was growing, we are still awaiting to open the rooms to see how the fruit has held up,” he said.
Organic demand remains high and should continue that way, Sinks said. “Roughly 52% of organic consumers are millennials, and they account for 30% of the U.S. population,” he said. “The majority of millennials who are purchasing organic items are also parents.”
Increasing consumer awareness of organic produce comes with effective in-store signage, as well as clear messaging on tag, digital content, and sustainability and social responsibility messaging, Sinks said.
“Creating an apple destination within the produce department is the best way to promote apples at the grocery store,” he said.
“Allowing consumers to see their options, but also providing them with information such as how to select and store, flavor profile, where they’re grown and how best to use them.”
When promoting organic apples and pears, retailers should always put out displays with clearly marked organic signage, Sinks said, adding that the loyal organic customer will shop the entire store for organics and not just the produce department.
On the other hand, the casual organic shopper may see an organic variety on sale and decide to make that purchase on impulse, he said.
In-store display contests work well when trying to boost volume in organic apple and pear sales, Sinks said. “Additionally, the best way to merchandise apples is to not only build an eye-catching display highlighting all of the different varieties, but to also make sure they are refrigerated. Unrefrigerated apples begin to show moisture loss and can be less appealing to consumers. By keeping them refrigerated, they stay crisp and juicy.”
