Snow Hardy (left) and Steve Potbury with a new apple variety Dazzle apples. Photo / Supplied
Snow Hardy (left) and Steve Potbury with a new apple variety Dazzle apples. Photo / Supplied
American apple growers will be among the first in the world to get a taste of New Zealand's most popular new apple variety.
The delicious apple known as Dazzle was launched last year by Fruitcraft, a collaboration of three of New Zealand's largest apple growers, Mr Apple, Bostock NZand Freshmax.
Fruitcraft signed a licence agreement with Chelan Fruit, a US co-operative with 325 grower members, farming 14,000 acres in Washington State. Gebbers Farms, one of the largest family owned and managed apple and cherry businesses in Washington State, has also signed the agreement.
Fruitcraft manager Steve Potbury says Chelan Fruit and Gebbers Farms have been granted the rights for production in the US and marketing rights for the fruit that they grow.
"They've committed to planting 3 million trees over 12 years and they will be marketing their fruit through their jointly owned company Chelan Fresh.
"More fruit will help establish the market more quickly and create a stronger following for the brand internationally," Potbury said.
USA Chelan Fruit and Gebbers Farms growers stand before PremA129 trees.
Gebbers Farms president Cass Gebbers and Chelan Fruit CEO Reggie Collins are both excited about the opportunity and anticipate the first commercial plantings to start in 2020.
"As a result of our production and marketing strength in Washington, we have managed to get hold of this exciting new apple from New Zealand. Dazzle is very well suited to the US market. It has all the qualities which appeal to US consumers. It is a big, highly coloured and very sweet apple."
Chelan Fresh marketing CEO Tom Riggan said about 80 per cent of the fruit grown in the US is sold domestically, but Washington growers are looking to export more and Dazzle apple offers opportunities for sales in the US for exports.
The newly branded apples are grown on trees of the variety PremA129, which was created, trialled and owned in New Zealand by Prevar Ltd.
There are now more than 100,000 PremA129 trees planted in New Zealand, with a further 250,000 trees being planted this winter.
Freshmax director Eddie Crasborn says it's great to see the Dazzleapple variety go global.
"It's been a collaborative approach by New Zealand's largest apple growers, to promote the apple and cement the brand within the domestic and global markets.
"We believe it's a winning apple that will be popular all over the world."
