There's a good feeling about apples in Eastern Canada right now. "The story for apples is very positive for most of Canada and certainly Nova Scotia. There's a good supply of apples in Eastern Canada," says Michael Van Meekeren of Van Meekeren Farms, adding that North America-wide, there's a slightly shorter supply.
This follows a good growing season for 2024 in the Eastern Canadian province with good moisture levels, no extreme heat, and no weather events such as hurricanes or high winds impacting the crop as they have in the past.
Overall, this supply outlook is quite different from the 2023-2024 crop, primarily in demand and supply for popular varieties such as Honeycrisp. "Last year there was an oversupply and lower pricing and this year, it's pretty much a flip to shorter supply and higher pricing. We're seeing the same with Pazazz and other exclusive varieties. Common varieties like Gala are mostly steady in demand compared to last year–there's not as big a delta from last year to this year," says Van Meekeren.
Even though Van Meekeren Farms isn't ready for commercial production on the Honeymoon apple variety, it will again be sampling the apple at its booth.
Buy Canada boost?
While demand for Nova Scotia apples has been strong from the start of the season, growers and shippers may also be seeing a bit of a "Buy Canadian" boost that's happening across the country. "Maybe some of the tariff situations, while not much has actually happened, have influenced short-term decisions for some customers and there has been some revisiting of plans," says Van Meekeren.
As for pricing, on Honeycrisp, Pazzaz, and club varieties, it has been strong this season. Pricing on other commodity apple varieties such as Gala, McIntosh, Red Delicious, and more has remained stable from last season.
Apple varieties will certainly be something Van Meekeren Farms will be discussing at its booth, #915, at the upcoming CPMA show on April 8-10 in Montreal, Canada. "We're always bringing new varieties to the table," says Van Meekeren. "Last year was the first year we brought the Honeymoon apple and there was some excitement about it." Even though the company isn't ready for commercial production on the variety, it will again be sampling the Honeymoon apple at its booth.
While demand for Nova Scotia apples has been strong from the start of the season, growers and shippers may also be seeing a bit of a "Buy Canadian" boost that's happening across the country.
Creating and strengthening relationships
Van Meekeren also looks to the show to help both form new and strengthen existing relationships, especially in the context of tariffs. "There's a lot of uncertainty and we feel it's important to connect across Canada and into the U.S. with potential customers. It's a time when you want to keep all doors open and be ready for any scenario," he says.
One door that may be opened wider is interprovincial trade barriers within Canada, something both the federal and provincial governments are in talks about reducing. "While we can ship apples quite easily across Canada, it's not in bulk form. There are ministerial exemptions that were created for a purpose but it also does slow down or slightly inhibit really straightforward trade between provinces. We wouldn't complain if that went away to ease doing business within Canada," says Van Meekeren.
Especially with the state of potential retaliatory tariffs on product coming into Canada. "Some items produced in Canada could be at a short-term disadvantage where a tariff exists going to the U.S. but not coming to Canada. That would have been the case for apples in that initial three-week window," he says. "That creates quite a challenge for the short-term to be at a 25 percent disadvantage one way and not the other way. We would like to see our government matching on items or explaining why they would choose some things and not others."
For more information:
Michael Van Meekeren
Van Meekeren Farms
Tel: +1 (902) 678 2366
info@givethemawink.com
https://givethemawink.com/