Presented in Berlin by Phil Turnbull, APAL
Welcoming over 63,400 trade visitors and buyers from 140 countries and 2,600 exhibitors from 92 countries, Fruit Logistica Berlin 2023 was the most international edition of the trade fair on record.
Pink Lady® returned to Berlin Fruit Logistica this year with its signature sustainable cardboard stand, the trade fair again proving to be the perfect platform for the brand to connect with its worldwide network and hold its annual Global Licensee Meeting and a series of targeted market supply meetings.
Under the theme, ‘Supplying the Future’, the global Pink Lady® team discussed the extraordinary operating environment and the ongoing oversupply in Europe at the Global Licensee Meeting in Berlin. The importance of having the right supply going to the right destinations, considering not only fruit volume but sizing and specifications was highlighted as being essential to the future success of Pink Lady®.
APAL CEO, Phil Turnbull, opened the Pink Lady® Global Licensee meeting with a presentation examining the evolution of global production growth from 2017-2022.
Since 2017, global production of Pink Lady® is trending upward, growing 17% to 340,000 tonnes, now more evenly split between the northern and southern hemispheres. Over time, the southern hemisphere added 50,000 tons, while the northern hemisphere stayed relatively flat after being hampered by poor growing seasons.
The trend line for total sales of Pink Lady® in the UK shows an increase over the 6-year period from 2017 to 2022; growing 33% to become an 80-tonne market. This growth has been driven equally by the southern hemisphere and northern hemisphere with similar market shares.
Looking at European sales, with the exception of the covid-impacted 2021, total sales have remained relatively flat. The southern hemisphere has grown its share of the market, which is an outperformance given that over the last 10 years, apple imports to the EU have declined by 50%.
Phil continued this analysis by accentuating the tremendous opportunity in the emerging markets, outlining the actual and potential sales for the emerging markets over the same period, 2017-2022.
If the northern hemisphere season could match the southern hemisphere season volumes into the emerging markets, the total demand is well above the current supply. Demand for Pink Lady® in the emerging markets in recent years would almost double the total volume of Pink Lady® in these markets if the opportunity.
The global Pink Lady® network must collectively contribute to the brand’s sustainable growth by recognising the genuine need for alternative markets and the demand for Pink Lady® in the key emerging markets.
A detailed review of the northern hemisphere markets were also presented at the Global Licensee Meeting including the UK Season Review 2022 by Julie Criddle, Coregeo, and the European Season Review 2022 by Thierry Mellenotte, Star Fruits. A deep-dive into the SMSP Managed Markets was also presented in Berlin by Jason Morris, Global General Manager for Pink Lady®.
Targeted Global Supply Meetings for South Africa and Chile were also carried out while the team was in Berlin.
