In an atypical campaign marked by the aftermath of the heat wave, Envy and Candine have boosted Blue Whale's sales in Spain. Following these results, the leading French cooperative expects higher volumes marketed for both varieties during the 2023-2024 season.
The campaign is still underway and sales of Envy have already tripled the sales of the previous year. “Envy is a crunchy, sweet apple, very consistent in taste. This is something that Spanish consumers really value. That's why it's already one of their favorite apples,” stated Marc Peyres, chief commercial officer at Blue Whale. “There's no doubt that Envy's sales in Spain have exceeded all our expectations,” Peyres stated.
Candine has stood out for her sweet taste and premium profile in markets around the world. Its success has been especially resounding in Asia. Asian countries, with China in the lead, have increased sixfold their purchases of this variety during this campaign. With production forecast to grow from 3,500 to 8,000 tons next season, the 2023-24 campaign is expected to be highly dynamic for Candine. “The Spanish market will continue to be key for Candine. We have high expectations for this variety in Spain in the coming campaigns,” Peyres stated.
An atypical campaign
The current campaign has been marked by the heat waves that affected France last summer. The drought reduced volumes, calibers, and seasonal durations for certain varieties. These setbacks mostly affected early apples, such as the Fuji and Royal Gala varieties. Later varieties, such as the Pink Lady and Joya varieties, were hardly harmed. At the same time, while the southern countries saw their volumes reduced, the northern countries achieved large productions. “The result was that the markets in the north were under pressure while everything in the south was more fluid,” Peyres said.
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