"We introduced our first, small crop to the market this spring, and it ran out in no time," says FruitMasters Brand Manager Tim Kievits about the Bloss concept apple. "The current crop is snowballing. More growers planted trees and those are coming into production. Bloss did excellently in flavor tests, and the market is now confirming that. Consumers tell us they find it a delicious apple, and that's what our trading partners want. They want to make their range sustainable with tasty apples that are as local as possible."
Bloss – the brand name of the Wurtwinning apple variety from the Fresh Forward stable and exclusively marketed by FruitMasters – was showcased at the recent Fruit Logistica. It is due to be harvested for the second time this season. "Its picking window falls between Elstar and the somewhat later varieties, like Tessa. Production is good, and storage looks promising. Now that more apples are being harvested, there's more data to further fine-tune cultivation. We can, thus, make adjustments if necessary to improve both quality and yield," Tim explains.
Roll out
You can find Bloss at Dutch retailers and greengrocers and on a small scale in Europe. The goal is to eventually roll out these apples throughout the European supermarket and wholesale channels. "It's a perfect apple for greengrocers who are in close contact with their customers and have slightly more time to explain the story behind the growing of Bloss." Especially because of its local and sustainable cultivation, Tim also sees many opportunities in food service and catering. Bloss has been planted as an organic apple, too and he sees increasing interest in that. Within FruitMasters, the BioMasters business unit is taking up that role.
Broader in the market
More and more, apples are being marketed by a single supermarket. Bloss, however, is being widely marketed as a concept apple. Tim says this robust variety is scab-resistant and tolerates mildew. He considers that an increasingly vital aspect. The concept manager expects traditional varieties like Elstar and Jonagold to remain important for Dutch growers, yet Tim also sees a growing role for robust apples. "Growers genuinely want hardiness because their permitted toolbox is gradually shrinking. Ultimately, they must choose which trees they can keep to grow delicious, quality apples for the next 15 years," he concludes.
Voor meer informatie:
Tim Kievits
[email protected]
FruitMasters
Deilseweg 7
4191 NX Geldermalsen
+31 (0)345 578 800
[email protected]
www.fruitmasters.com