The first containers of apples from Washington State in the US arrived in Cape Town shortly before Christmas, and have almost immediately led to a consumer advertising war between some of South Africa's leading supermarkets.
The fruit arrived in Cape Town following a lengthy sea voyage from Seattle on the US West Coast, via the Far East and Durban on the east coast of South Africa, where it was transported by road to Cape Town. On arrival, the fruit was subjected to a rigorous inspection procedure in the form of an import permit described as being '20 pages long' by one official.
During the week preceding the fruit's arrival, one of the country's largest retailers, Pick 'n Pay, had published full-page advertisements in the Sunday newspapers claiming that the chain would remain loyal to the South African apple industry by not importing US apples. However, the retailer this week offered shoppers Ya pears from China, which were strongly branded by importer Dole South Africa.
Washington Reds will be offered to consumers by Shoprite Checkers and Fruit & Veg City, who represent Pick 'n Pay's main rivals in the fresh produce retail market.
Freshmark, one of the leading fresh produce distributors in the South African market, imported the fruit, with a spokesman saying: 'We are coming to the end of the South African season and we are trying to offer South African consumers something different.'
South Africa's domestic market has in recent years seen increasing volumes of imported produce, with Washington Reds perhaps the most famous apple brand ever imported by the country.
Indeed, South Africa has always been a strong market for red apples, with the quality and full red appearance of Washington Reds set to make an impact where other imported varieties have failed in the past.
Over the past few years, the South African consumer market has shown significant growth and imported fruit during the off-season has played an important role in efforts by local retailers to offer year-round supplies of the important categories to customers. For example, there are presently good supplies of Italian kiwifruit on the market, while the off-season importation of Spanish and Israeli avocados has also started.
For the South African apple sector, the local market is of immense importance, with growth over the past three decades achieved through a comprehensive programme of promotions.
It has been traditionally difficult for imported apples to compete on the South African market because, for most of the year, prices have been too low to cover importation costs. For this reason, limited volumes of Chinese apples have arrived in the country since the market was opened to the fruit at the start of the year.
The period between November and February is, however, a different matter, with prices traditionally very good for Controlled Atmosphere-stored fruit during the off-season period. This is where Washington Reds will most likely find their niche.
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