Gala, which is the second largest English apple variety in volume terms, should have a crop of around 23,000 tonnes this season (22,000t in 2005).
“There is likely to be less fruit in the 55-60mm range this year for polybags,” said English Apples & Pears ceo Adrian Barlow. “Skin finish looks very good and Gala is well set to profit from the support the UK multiples gave it in terms of import replacement last season.
“We genuinely think Gala grown in this country has a bit of an edge taste-wise over imported fruit and we have overcome the visual quality issues that perhaps held us back. There has to be a very good reason for import replacement - we need to be better than the competition in every respect And we are not going to get large premiums for English Gala - there is a limit to what will be paid for English product as opposed to imported Gala. We have to be very effective in building efficiencies into what we do and better the standards of imported fruit.”
Barlow added that many domestic growers are still relatively new to Gala and the pedal must stay firmly to the metal on the development road. “We need to get better every year, and take advantage of all the latest production techniques that growers overseas are using to enhance their performance,” he said.
“Growers must make it their business to find out what’s going on and make sure they trial the right varieties and methods in their orchards. Otherwise, we will not make the advances we want to achieve.”
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