The organization that owns the Kanzi apple brand says new plantings across the world mean supply volumes will double within the next five years.

GKE CEO Henry Muller

A representative of GKE, the variety management company owned by Belgian, Dutch and German grower cooperatives, told www.freshfruitportal.com some 70,000 metric tons (MT) would likely be marketed this coming season.

"We already have new trees in the ground," CEO Henry Muller said at the London Produce Show last week.

"We know that in five years definitely it [marketing volumes] will be double."

Coinciding with the new plantings, last September the company carried out a major rebrand to market the apple in a different way.

"We wanted to express that freshness, that explosion of taste, and that’s how we want to convince the consumer to try our apple," Muller said.

"It tastes good, it's crunchy and it's really juicy. That's why people love it, and that's what we wanted to express in our changed marketing approach.

"We see that it is successful and we see more and more growers asking us to be a part of our family."

This coming season the company will also focus on digital advertizing, including putting videos on Facebook and YouTube.

Muller said the rebrand was taking place worldwide except for the U.S., as the brand was only introduced there a couple of years ago and the company did not want to risk confusing consumers by changing its image so quickly.

A couple of years ago GKE began selling the apples in the Middle East, where sales are now growing, and there are also shipments going into Asia.

The Kanzi apple, which is a cross of Gala and Braeburn, is now grown in Europe, the U.S. states of Washington and Michigan, Chile, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Tests also are being carried out in other countries to assess whether it can be grown or not, according to Muller.

www.freshfruitportal.com