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12 January 2011

Jazz™Apples Lead Strong Start to Enza’s Northern Hemisphere Season

Global apple industry leader, ENZA is reporting a positive Northern Hemisphere selling season for ENZA apple varieties grown in the USA and Europe. Results are being led by strong sales and increased returns from the company’s JAZZ™ variety.

Sales of JAZZ™ apples produced in the Northern Hemisphere in the 2010/2011 season are up across all major markets with the new variety showing good returns despite increasing competition in all markets.

Developed in New Zealand as part of ENZA’s programme of new apple variety development, JAZZ™ is now grown in 12 countries as part of ENZA’s year round global supply strategy. The company’s investment in promotion and marketing of the variety has seen planned export sales of Washington grown JAZZ™ to Asia jump by over 100 percent this season.

ENZA’s General Manager, Snow Hardy says sales of JAZZ™ in the EU are well ahead of schedule with very good returns despite stiff competition in market from other fruit varieties. European demand means that ENZAFruit Continent is this year bringing in US JAZZ™ as European production is already 50% sold only a third of the way into the season.

In the UK, JAZZ™ is now supplied across across all the major retailers and is now delivered in 15 individual SKU’s on the shelf up from 10 SKU’s only a year ago. It is rapidly being accepted by consumers and retailers as the UK’s premium apple offering. Prior to Christmas JAZZ™ was also on show to 110,000 food lovers at the BBC Good Food Show in Birmingham.

“The UK JAZZ season has started with a strong promotional push with key retail partners,” says Hardy. “Range extensions with new packaging formats mean that our customers in the UK can buy JAZZ™ in more ways than ever and that is boosting sales.”

In the US what will be a record volume crop of Washington grown JAZZ™ apples has started very well with larger year to date volumes sold than previous seasons. Part of the success has been due to strong early demand for the small sizes owing to year round programs on Jazz Snackers and export demand from supermarkets in Thailand.

Snow Hardy says while the Northern Hemisphere selling season is underway, growers in New Zealand are reporting a good growing season as they look ahead to this year’s JAZZ™ harvest. New Zealand JAZZ™ volumes are set to top 1,500,000 cartons in 2011 and ENZA’s latest apple ENVY will see over 100,000 cartons exported.

ENDS

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