English apple growers are asking the British public to support them in their campaign to remove foreign apples from the supermarket shelves this autumn to give English apples a fighting chance.
The call comes at the start of the official apple season which experts say is the best crop for seven years. Producers say the public should buy British, following a vintage season which they claim outshines any fruit imported from abroad.
Growers say they’re under pressure . Apple sales globally have fallen and research shows that 65% of all apples sold during the English season are imported .
Favourite British varieties such as Cox, Gala and Early Windsor are being overlooked by shoppers picking up French Granny Smiths, New Zealand Braeburn or American Pink Lady.
Research has shown that shoppers WANT to buy locally grown products, but consumers in Britain are still struggling to find English apples on supermarket shelves.
Apple producers have campaigned in recent years for greater supermarket support – now they’re pushing for the ultimate goal – 100% English apples on the supermarket shelves and no imported apples to be on sale during the English apple season.
English apple growers say this year’s apple crop is excellent due to good weather conditions, virtually no frost and dry picking conditions. Around 41, 000 tonnes of English Cox, regarded as the finest English apple, will appear in shops over the next two months.
The typical 2009 English apple will be larger than last year with good colour due to cold nights. It will have bright skin colours and a good clean skin finish. The taste will have good sugar and juice levels with excellent texture.
