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Press Release

British apple and pear supermarket performance, six months into the 2023 season

New six month sales data from BAPL

Six months since the start of the British apple and pear season (starting October 2023), British Apples & Pears Limited (BAPL) has analysed which supermarkets have surpassed last year’s performance and which are lagging behind.

Of the 10 supermarkets analysed, seven managed to increase the volume of British apples and pears bought from BAPL growers compared to the same period in 2022/23. The top performers were Sainsbury’s which bought 2,737 more tonnes of British apples and pears and Lidl which bought 2,597 more tonnes than the previous year.

VIEW THE DATA CHARTS

Tesco has fallen just slightly behind its 2022/23 performance – selling 714 tonnes fewer British apples and pears in the first six months of the season. However, it was hampered by a slow start in October and is now catching up with the other top performers.

Unfortunately, not all supermarkets have improved in terms of supporting British apples and pears and buying more this season compared to last. The biggest underperformer was Morrisons, selling 2,613 fewer tonnes between October and March 2023/24 compared to the same period in 2022/23.

“Things are getting very tight at the top of the league table this year.” Explained executive chair of BAPL, Ali Capper. “Aldi is currently beating Tesco, but only by 333 tonnes. Sainsbury’s and Lidl are both closing the gap on the top two. It’s going to be fascinating to see how the rest of the year turns out.

“We’re delighted that most supermarkets are buying more British apples and pears than they were this time last year. We know that’s what consumers want, and we welcome the recent moves by some supermarkets to make it easier for online shoppers to choose British. That’s another great step towards making buying British as easy as possible.”  

Every month, BAPL publishes supermarket sales data on its website to shine a light on which supermarkets are putting their buying power behind British. The monthly data tables can be viewed at the links below:

 https://www.britishapplesandpears.co.uk/supermarket-sales-data/

https://www.britishapplesandpears.co.uk/supermarket-sales-data-pears/

 

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Uncategorized Press Release Research

The trees are talking!

How new ‘listening’ technologies could help British growers produce even better apples

AI technologies could be coming to an orchard near you. Things are high tech now in some UK apple and pear orchards. The latest ideas involve ‘listening’ to the trees to find out exactly when they are starting to feel thirsty. 

British apple supplier and BAPL member, Adrian Scripps, has joined a trial to evaluate a new ‘listening’ technology. The sensors on the trees detect biosignals that give growers an early alert to potential stresses – like needing a drink!

The sensors are small, with two wires that go into the tree, usually into a branch. They detect micro-electric biosignals inside the tree and trigger irrigation the moment the tree needs it. The grower no longer has to guess, or wait for the tree to show signs of ‘thirst’ – such as leaves dropping or going yellow. 

The fact is that by the time the tree is showing visible signs of stress, the damage may have been done. So it’s better to be able to provide some water before that happens. 

We’re also very mindful of the need to conserve water as much as we can. And this technology can help growers do just that. While we might have the perfect maritime climate for growing delicious apples in the UK, rain is not always in plentiful supply. Water sustainability is very important. 

Ultimately this technology can also help growers conserve water and be more sustainable. Without this insight, growers might have to water the trees when they ‘think’ they might be thirsty and that could be a waste.

We’ll bring you updates as this trial progresses. In the meantime, you can read more in this Fruitnet article.

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Press Release

BAPL AGM – 17th April 2024

British Apples & Pears Limited held its annual AGM at NIAB‘s new Mumford Building in East Malling, Kent and online (via Zoom) on Wednesday, 17th April 2024. 

The Mumford Building was an excellent venue for a well-attended and informative session. 

BAPL was delighted to share the day with friends and colleagues from the National Fruit Show. The National Fruit Show held its AGM first, followed by a guest speaker and then BAPL ran its AGM. Many attendees joined for all three sessions. 

The guest speaker was renowned retail expert, Ged Futter. Ged spoke about the need for suppliers to consider saying ‘no’ to supermarkets, when terms do not support long term sustainability. He shared insights from his extensive experience working as a buyer for a major supermarket and this prompted many questions from the audience.

Ali Capper, BAPL executive chair, Jed Futter, Retail Minds and John Guests, The English Apple Man at the BAPL AGM

Above image (L to R): Ali Capper, executive chair of BAPL, Ged Futter, The Retail Mind, and John Guest, the English Apple Man.

In the BAPL AGM, Ali Capper provided an update on the extensive activities in the last financial year (August 2022 to July 2023). This included:

  • Extensive national media and trade media coverage on issues facing growers
  • Ministerial and political meetings to put forward issues of governmental concern.
  • Social media reach performance up 75% on 2022
  • Website visitors up 170% on 2022
  • Huge success with the #OrchardWatch social media posts sharing a fascinating look inside our growers’ orchards
  • The great start of season promotional work from several retailers to get behind British at this crucial time
  • The plans for 2024, which include working with retailers to ensure we see new season apples on TV and celebrated in store and online

If you missed the AGM, you can view the slides below:

BAPL AGM Chair’s slides

Ged Futter’s slides