CHELAN, WA - Apple lovers, rejoice! Despite the 2021 Washington apple crop harvest coming in a little short of estimate, Mac Riggan, Director of Marketing at Chelan Fresh, assures me there is still apple eating to be done. And you know that means plenty of possibilities for retailers to cash in.
“There’s a lot of good new varieties out of Washington that are being harvested and grown in higher volume, and they are extending the apple season,” Mac explains. “In turn, that provides retailers with a great opportunity to sustain some of the excitement they have in the fall with the with varieties that usually finish up around Christmas or January, well into the winter and early spring."
Several of these exciting varieties are Chelan’s own, including its popular Rockit™ and SugarBee® apples. As Mac tells me, Rockit demand has been incredibly high this season, with the possibility that Chelan may even run out of domestic supplies and have to transition to imports to fill the gap created by this need. Similarly, the grower’s SugarBee apples have been steady, consistently impressing shoppers as they search for new varieties to add to their baskets.
This comes as good news to Chelan as the skyrocketing temperatures last year created some uncertainty around the company’s apple crops.
“Overall, fruit is good quality, and I’m very pleased about that because the summer heat this year was unprecedented,” adds Mac. “However, despite the weather, we now have good sizing across our fruit, although it is down a little bit, that’s not a deal breaker.”
As we move closer to late winter and early spring, Chelan is anticipating a shrink in the crop. However, Mac imparts that as supply dwindles and pack-outs have gone down, FOB pricing will strengthen. He also informs me that processor pricing has seen a boost as well, as more processors have turned to Washington apple growers to fulfill their needs.
Optimistic about Chelan’s apple offerings, Mac finishes off our discussion by emphasizing how far the industry has come despite COVID-19 challenges and spotlighting the importance of key members of the supply chain.
“I get tired of blaming everything on COVID, but that’s the reality. With some people not able to work, we have shipping bottlenecks, but everyone is doing their best,” he says. “Right now, especially, we need to take good care of our truckers. Chelan has always valued the trucking industry and those driving the trucks because they often get taken for granted. But we have come to realize those guys are incredibly important, and it would be hard to move product without them.”
With appreciation and apples in our hearts and minds thanks to Mac’s words, now is a perfect time to add Chelan’s varieties to your shelves to let consumers share in the experience.
