NEW ZEALAND - Back in May, we brought you exciting news of a cutting-edge new packhouse driving growth for T&G Global. With key expansions and a newly launched variety signaling its ongoing success, I took a moment to dive into the strategies behind the company’s strong momentum.
“Our new highly automated, world-class packhouse is one of the largest apple packhouses in the Southern Hemisphere and has been built to help meet future global consumer demand for our premium New Zealand apples, especially Envy™,” shares Gareth Edgecombe, Chief Executive Officer. “This state-of-the-art post-harvest facility will be instrumental in enabling us to manage increased volume growth, lift productivity, and ensure our fruit arrives in the market in an excellent condition.”
To help meet growing consumer demand, T&G has redeveloped hundreds of hectares of its New Zealand orchards into modern 2D growing systems over the last five years, with increased plantings of its premium Envy™ brand. The company also works with independent producers who grow the brand under license in 13 countries, including New Zealand and the United States, to support its 365-sales program.
Envy™ has seen a strong performance in the market, as Nielsen results ending 4/22/23 show the apple achieved an impressive 28 percent increase in volume across the U.S. (Source: Nielsen Past 52 Weeks)
“Envy™ makes up nearly a quarter of branded, high-flavor apple sales volume,” says Vince Lopes, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “High consumer rankings are just one small indicator of the brand’s consistent and steadfast popularity, which has been skyrocketing over the past 52-week sales period.”
As T&G Global emphasizes, Envy™ has the proven ability to attract and retain the organic apple shopper, making it a must-have brand for retailers pursuing share of discerning consumer spend.
“Innovation is at the core of our strategy, and it starts with drawing upon the world’s best plant genetics through the expertise of VentureFruit®, which is our plant variety, commercialization, and management business,” Gareth explains. “Through VentureFruit’s® expertise and partnerships, we’ve created our premium Envy™ and JAZZ™ apple brands from exclusively licensed varieties from New Zealand’s Plant & Food Research. In June 2023, following 10 years of innovation, we launched our newest global branded apple variety, Joli™, which joins our premium portfolio.”
More growth is planned for this newly introduced variety, as T&G shared that a commercial growing pilot is getting underway in New Zealand. Over the next five to six years, the apple maven will extend the opportunity to grow Joli™ in other countries, with consumers able to purchase the apple from 2028 onward.
As the provider reports, this year’s New Zealand-grown crop has been a great, high-quality crop, with excellent color and size. T&G has finished harvesting the New Zealand crop in May, which is now being packed and exported to markets.
We will continue to bring you more updates on the apple category and beyond, so stay tuned.
