The growth of the Western Australian-bred apple Soluna™ overseas is continuing to grow each year, and has commenced test plantings internationally.
The burgundy-coloured ANABP 01 variety which was bred in Western Australia, is known in domestic markets as Bravo®, is exported from April to December, depending on the season and WA Farm Direct Executive Manager Rebecca Blackman says it is the peak season now.
"It's generally the fruit's difference driving the popularity overseas," she said. "Its colour, the health benefits and the fact that it is slow to turn brown - are the three key differentiators. It tends to be suited to the Asian palate, as well as the burgundy colour is good luck for the Asian cultures."
The apple is shipped to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Middle East (Oman, UAE and Saudi Arabia) and the Philippines, with Hong Kong and Thailand being the biggest growth markets in recent years. Ms Blackman says there has been a range of different and creative in-country marketing activities that go hand in hand with the importing of the fruit.
"Export is going really well with the volume in each market growing and the increased marketing of the Soluna™ brand," Ms Blackman said. "Each location has a different marketing schedule, we work with each of our importers to create marketing activities together which work for each of the markets that we are in. For example, in Hong Kong we have done a range of different activities including the mid-autumn festival, posters through the MTR and on the trams - we branded an entire tram with Soluna™. We undertake sampling with point of sale in retail locations, social media influencers and other digital marketing. In Thailand, we undertook trooping activities where they went through the Simummang Market and Talaad Thai market with promotional people and had a band that went through the markets and spoke about the benefits of Soluna™ and where you could purchase it. Thailand has had a number of new supermarkets stock Soluna™ this year, which means Soluna™ is now in most of the major supermarkets."
Production-wise, there was "a little bit of a hiccup" after significant heat that resulted in a number of days above 40 where the nights did not cool enough, affecting all apples. But WA Farm Direct says that the east coast fruit was able to even out supply. When next year normalises and young trees mature, it is expected that there will be an increase of 10-15 per cent in production.
"Demand in Australia has increased again this year," Ms Blackman said. "So, while we have only had a small increase in overall production because of the WA heat, which impacted all apple varieties, we are still up significantly throughout our other markets. Bravo® is supplied to supermarkets as well as independents and wholesale and that's had an overall increase by 30 per cent this year."
WA Farm Direct are supplying Bravo® in Australia and domestic commercialisation is undertaken by Fruit West Co-operative, the international commercialisation of Soluna™ is undertaken by Topstar Alliance.
In July, the Soluna™ European Technical Group gathered for a meeting, with 26 participants from 7 countries, where the Technical Coordinator for TopStar Julien Delavaud, explained the international commercialisation trials. It includes Water stress trials, Climate Protection Treatments, Various protection methods (Anti-transpirants, Misting Systems, UV Protection Nets and Solar Protection Sprays: Using talc and kaolin), Storage and Sensory Analysis, Ongoing Customer and Consumer Trials and Field days.
"He (Julien) has been working on trials throughout Europe where they are trialling growing the fruit but also trialling growing techniques for growing the variety," Ms Blackman said.
At its current growth rate of growth, the exports of Soluna™ could exceed the total volume of apples of all varieties exported from Australia in 2023, within the next 2-3 seasons - and the long-term target is to export 70 per cent of the crop by 2044.
For more information
Rebecca Blackman
WA Farm Direct
Phone: +61 8 9350 4600
[email protected]
www.wafarmdirect.com.au