LOW prices are pushing apple growers to new heights in an effort to reach new markets.
"Prices this year are lower than they have been for a few years and customers are getting quite good value for money," said Batlow Fruit Co-operative chairman, John Robson, "Mount View", Batlow.
Grower-owned Horticulture Innovation Australia (HIA) is leading a campaign for the promotion of Aussie apples for the domestic market called Refresh Yourself.
Australian Apple and Pear Association communications manager Sophie Clayton said the campaign steers apple marketing away from traditional fruit campaigns to highlight the product's convenience and unprocessed qualities.
"While apples are a staple of most shopping baskets, this campaign is about reinvigorating the perception and appeal of apples as a refreshing, reviving experience, appealing to a younger audience, who often reach for other convenience options," Ms Clayton said.
The industry is also investing to improve its efficiency, Ms Clayton said.
"New orchards are much more productive than old ones and slowly Australia's average yields per hectare are increasing," she said.
Packing infrastructure is under development to reduce costs and increase in consistency of quality as well as provide long lines of high quality fruit suited for export.
New varieties have proved fruitful for growers.
During the past 20 years, Apple and Pear Australia Limited (APAL) has developed the Pink Lady brand in Europe and a range of other countries.
Today more than 350,000 tonnes of apples are sold under the brand worldwide.
"A large proportion of the royalties raised from this trade are used to promote and manage the brand, resulting in the price of Pink Lady apples in Europe sustainably higher than that of other apples," Ms Clayton said.
New apple varieties such as Modi, Enchanted and Anabpol from Western Australia, will come on stream in the next few years.
Some of these varieties have taste profiles and appearance specifically developed to meet consumer demands from the Asian markets.
"All these show potential as new products for the apple category," Ms Clayton said.
"Several have been licensed with express export market sales obligations with a proportion of fruit to be sold on the export market tied into their licences."
APAL chief executive John Dollisson said Australia's 2015 combined apple and pear crop was forecast to be bigger than 2013 and 2014, with larger proportions of the highest quality class one fruit.
"The forecast shows we can expect about 15 per cent more apples compared to last year," Mr Dollisson said.
The 2015 crop is expected to be about 311,758 tonnes, which is 12 per cent larger than 2014 (270,000 tonnes), and slightly up on 2013 (288,000t).
"With more apples expected - especially Royal Gala and Pink Lady - we will be focusing our efforts on exports to help find suitable markets for them," Mr Dollisson said.
Yields are expected to increase from about 29t/ha in 2014 to 33t/ha in 2015.
Growing the best at Batlow
JOHN Robson "Mount View" Batlow, has made growing apples his life's work.
His family orchard was planted by H.V. Smith in 1910 and has been in continuous production ever since.
Mr Robson produced 3500 tonnes of apples last season.
"It was a little bit more than average due to a favourable season and with more young trees coming into production," he said.
Mr Robson said he always has young trees coming along as more favourable varieties are introduced.
He grows Royal Gala, among many Gala strains, Red Delicious, Fuji and Pink Lady.
"My favourite is Royal Gala but Red Delicious when presented to the public freshly picked is a very acceptable apple," Mr Robson said.
Though his operation has a high annual average rainfall, the Batlow region can experience dry periods and the fruit bearing trees need supplementary irrigation to maintain production.
The orchard is a major family concern, but a Limousin stud operated by Mr Robson's son and daughter-in-law is attracting good attention.
"It is part of the family business and doing fairly well for us in shows and markets," Mr Robson said.
At the recent Sydney Royal Show, a home-bred Limousin steer weighing 640 kilograms was judged reserve heavyweight steer in the led-steer competition.