Koru apple making big splash in U.S.
Koru apple making big splash in U.S.
Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers, located in Wenatchee, WA, plans to build upon successes already realized with the limited introduction of the Koru apple variety in the United States.
Kent Karstetter, a large apple grower for Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers. “We brought the Koru in from New Zealand this spring,” National Marketing Representative Dan Wohlford told The Produce News. “Retail and consumers really embraced it.” Oneonta is planting acreage in Washington, and the variety will become a part of its comprehensive apple manifest. The market can expect to see volume boosts in approximately two years. Oneonta began operations in 1934 and was one of Washington’s first exporters of apples. Today, the company’s global customers receive a wide variety of fruit, including apples, pears, cherries, stone fruits, table grapes and citrus.
Oneonta grows and markets both conventional and organic apples, and Wohlford said 2014 will be a fantastic season. “The same weather that gave us wonderful cherries helped the apples, too,” he stated. “The volume will be there.”
The harvest kicked off a week earlier than normal, and Gala, Red Delicious and Honeycrisp are already moving into the pipeline. “We’ll have a full range of sizes,” he stated. Typically, large annual crop sizes mean smaller-sized fruit. “This year is an exception,” he went on to say, adding that quality is expected to be high.
July saw some heat in the growing region. But Wohlford said night time temperatures are moderating, and this will translate to good fruit color.
Apples are actively promoted under Oneonta’s SnaQ promotions for apples, pears and cherries. “It continues to be a successful program,” Wohlford stated. Point-of-sale information has also been created as part of the “Apples To Go” program, which highlights the versatility of apples and the ways in which they can easily be incorporated as part of a healthful lifestyle despite consumers’ busy schedules.
