With domestic Honeycrisp supplies light, imports of apples from the Southern Hemisphere will soon give retailers more volume to promote, according to Don Roper, vice president of sales and marketing, Honeybear Brands, Elgin, Minn.
The USDA reports that average fob prices for Washington Honeycrisp apples have surged from $45.33 in early January to more than $51.64 per carton by March 23.
“We invested heavily in our dual-hemisphere supply chain program more than two decades ago and it has proven to be a real point of differentiation for our retail partners,” Roper said in a news release. “With our Chilean growing partner Frusan, we have, in our opinion, the largest and best Honeycrisp production in the Southern Hemisphere. Honeybear provides large scale year-round supply of both conventional and organic Honeycrisp with the same premium quality retailers have come to expect.”
With distribution facilities on both coasts, Roper said in the release that Honeybear expects its import supply will be 40% higher by volume this year. The Honeycrisp import crop will be available late April, while other conventional and organic varieties of apples and pears are already arriving at U.S. ports, he said in the release.
Honeybear’s signature apple, Pazazz, is expected to arrive from the Southern Hemisphere in June.