Information sharing would help apple farmers target consumers

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

by MATT MCINTOSH

Using information and traceability systems more effectively will make Ontario apples more competitive and profitable, says a new report by the Value Chain Management Centre and the Norfolk Fruit Growers Association.

The two organizations produced the "Collaborating to Increase the Profitability of Ontario Apple Producers" report, which identified opportunities to "capture greater value from the production, grading, packing, marketing, and retailing of Ontario apples."

The report found that relaying consumer trends to producers, who can then try and grow more specific products, would make Ontario apples more attractive to consumers.

"We have to start producing what people want, not what we want to sell," says Tom O'Neill, general manager for the Norfolk Fruit Growers Association.

"We gather a lot of information on the packaging and marketing side. If we can tell our producers that apples of a larger size, for instance, are favoured by consumers, they can grow apples to target that category," he says.

However, O'Neill also says the report's conclusions are not strict science.

"It's just a general way to utilize the information we have; Mother Nature still likes to play tricks on us every year," he says.

Relaying information like the size of apple preferred by consumers, says the report, would not require a capital investment, but should still be considered along with other methods designed to improve productivity and cost-cutting.

The project generating the report was funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program. BF