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Ben McLeod - Mr Apple

“Posy is super early, super sweet and a great apple to kick the season off with"

New Zealand has two major apple-growing regions, Hawkes Bay in the North Island and Nelson in the South Island, these account for approximately 88% of the production. The remainder is spread across Otago, Gisborne, Waikato, and Wairarapa.

The New Zealand apple industry seems to have recovered well from a couple of tough years of bad weather and cyclone Gabrielle which caused major destruction just as the 2023 apple season was beginning.

Mr Apple is one of the major apple growers in New Zealand, Ben McLeod, Global Sales and Marketing Manager said that they are extremely happy with the 2024 crop which was picked, packed, shipped, and marketed around the world. "Following the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 it was pleasing to see the bounce back in 2024 which was a much-needed boost to the Mr Apple team and our growers."

"The excellent fruit quality and storability of Mr Apple fruit came down to our dedicated hard-working teams in the orchards ensuring the fruit was harvested at the optimal time. Along with having efficient cool storage and capacity which enables the team to deliver a better apple for consumers to enjoy.

Mr Apple was in line with previous seasons with most of the fruit shipped by September with a few retail programs selling into October prior to Northern Hemisphere commencing.

"With over 13 varieties across 40 countries, all markets have played their part in ensuring all the fruit was sold. With most economies still recovering post Covid our strategy to spread our sales geographically helps to alleviate some of that risk. We focus on around 10 markets, where we work closely with our customers on sales and marketing programs. In those countries we work with our partners on having consistent and steady programs for the year – so we're not flooding the market and we're not running out too quickly. This helps us balance the demands of the season in partnership with our customers. Those who we work closely with are good at navigating the challenges of the season, and the marketing support we give them also helps with sales momentum."

IP varieties
Posy and Dazzle are stand-out varieties for Mr Apple and Ben said that they are pleased with how they are both performing.

"Posy is super early and super sweet and a great apple to kick the season off with for Mr Apple and our key partners in the market. Dazzle is known as 'the crunch of New Zealand' and maintains that crunch throughout the season. We are happy with the progress in the orchards, at packing, and in markets where there has been a significant focus on marketing Dazzle to create more awareness with consumers. We are getting great traction with consumers who recognize Dazzle and associate it with "Crunch" and with leading an active and healthy lifestyle. Through our subsidiary company "Fruit Craft" we develop and test new varieties and hopefully in the not-too-distant future we will have something new and exciting to bring to the market."

Volumes and markets
"With any new variety, it's important we grow the demand alongside the supply which we are very cognisant of and we are happy with the forecasted projections for Posy and Dazzle over the next 2-3 years. Posy volume is limited and therefore targeted at the Asian markets primarily. Dazzle's flavor profile and storability mean it can transcend multiple markets globally and that is really exciting as we look at new opportunities to promote and grow the Dazzle brand."

Traditional varieties
"Royal Gala is an important variety, sold virtually in all markets globally with Mr Apple and New Zealand having a strong reputation for consistent quality, high color, and excellent storability. Granny Smith is more a food service item of which we have strong demand through Asia."

2025 season
"Excellent warm growing conditions in spring have indicated the crop will be 5-7 days earlier than last season. We have had a few cool nights through summer which is great for color development and with the right level of rainfall should ensure good fruit size, so all incredibly positive news from a growing perspective. The harvest will start on early varieties such as Posy around week 4 / 5 here in Hawkes Bay.

"Traditionally we have strong demand at the start of each season so will be looking to see what depth many of our key markets have once the product begins to arrive. With Chinese New Year coming up this normally provides a good insight across Asia with how confident the markets are. The customers we build programs within our key markets are optimistic. The last few years have been a rollercoaster, but we have collaborated closely with them on building our brands and supporting their sales in the market. With our track record, they have confidence in our offer and our partnership."

For more information:
Ben McLeod
Mr Apple
ben.mcleod@mrapple.com
www.mrapple.com