Compared to 2022, this year’s early start for the British Columbia (B.C.) apple season means harvest is just over halfway done. At Consolidated Fruit Packers (CFP), a division of Star Produce Ltd., Gord Morrison, senior director of sales, says it has finished harvest on varieties such as McIntosh, Gala, Spartan and Golden Delicious and is now into Ambrosia harvest. “Still to come are Red Delicious, Pink Lady and Granny Smith--those will start coming off here pretty quick--and some Fuji as well,” he says.
Photo: Casorso Farmers in Kelowna, B.C. for CFP-The Star Group. Credit: Danika Lee Photography.
Harvest of the Pink Lady variety particularly, could go until the end of October though Gino Boensch, manager at Star Produce Ltd. says it’s sometimes a race to finish harvest before the first frost falls. “If frost is coming, we harvest a bit sooner if the maturity of the apples allows. That threat of frost is why traditionally there aren't a lot of Pink Lady apples grown in Canada,” he says.
All of this on a crop that looks to be fairly average in overall volume though some orchards did see a slight decrease in volume due to a hot weather spell in May. That resulted in a flash bloom and a shortened time frame for blossom.
Stronger pricing on B.C. apples
As for demand for that crop, it looks to be strong. “That stronger demand for local apples means we’ve been able to capture some better pricing over last year,” says Morrison.
Strong demand and increased pricing are all fuel for CFP's mission to revitalize the B.C. apple industry--an industry that has seen decreasing apple volumes due to a loss of acreage. Add to that the challenge of increased grower costs and returns that haven’t matched those costs.
“We’re losing acreage to things like more cherries and grapes--items that growers are seeing more profitability on,” says Boensch. “We want to turn around the trajectory of the apple industry in B.C. We’re trying to find solutions to growing and improving quality and yields to help get better returns to the growers. The trajectory in the last 10 years has been going the wrong way and we want to keep this industry as strong as we can.” Part of this involves providing growers in the company's stable access to its field staff team to work with them on improving yields, quality and more.
Other approaches
Could club apple varieties play a role in this revitalization plan as well? “There has been a lot of discussion around that. It takes a lot of investment for growers to switch to club varieties--taking out specific orchards, replacing them and waiting two to four years for those trees to mature,” Boensch says. “A lot of the growers aren’t in the strong financial position to make that investment so we’re trying to help them get in a stronger position in the near future so they can become more innovative whether it be with varieties, more growing techniques, the way they set up their orchards to increase the yields per acre and more. Then they can be on a higher-end playing field with producers from other growing regions in the world. So it’s increasing profitability first and then later, we can focus on the varieties.”
For Star Produce, part of that revitalization plan also includes its increased volume of organic apples. It’s partnered with Harker’s Organics to help boost its organic offerings. “We’ve been a smaller player in organics in the past and we are now taking this bigger step,” says Boensch, noting that while consumption is growing overall on organic apples, price is a big factor in that. “There are a lot of consumers who want to consume organic apples but it depends on the price difference on the conventional side.”
Pears are also part of Star Produce’s tree fruit offerings via its partnership with Day’s Century Growers Inc.--the Day family not only grows pears but also operates a specialty pear packing line at its facility in Kelowna, B.C. “The Bartlett crop is starting to wind down now with packing and they’re starting on Bosc, Green Anjou and Red Anjou,” says Morrison, noting that grower Kevin Day, who grew up on that farm, says it’s one of the best pear crop he’s seen in his life. “It’s clean, beautifully sized fruit so we’re excited to get those pears out to the markets.”
For more information:
Gino Boensch
Gord Morrison
Consolidated Fruit Packers (CFP)
Tel: +1 (250) 868-1400
https://cfp-ltd.ca/