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Cape Town - The Shoprite Group will be making retail history this month when the first consignment of apples from the United States is unpacked on its shelves.
This is the first time that US apples have been exported to South Africa.
Brian Weyers, corporate marketing manager for Shoprite, told Sake24 that the fruit will be arriving in Durban harbour on December 13 if everything goes according to plan.
The retail giant, known for its Checkers, Shoprite and OK chains, expects 160 tonnes or about 8 000 cartons of Red Delicious apples. The heart-shaped, deep red apple is currently the most popular variety in the US.
Countries such as South Africa, Australia and Japan have long had a ban on importing apples from the US, owing to concerns about the possible introduction of pests.
SA apple shortage
According to Weyers, a permit to import the American fruit from the federal state of Washington was approved only recently by the department of agriculture - after two long years.
Once the apples have landed, they will be examined by the department.
Weyers said that the group hoped that the apples would be in selected Checkers stores before Christmas.
The reason for the import is the dearth of local red apples over the festive season. South African apples are harvested from February to April.
The varieties currently available are cold-storage apples, and the red ones become scarce by December. The decision to import Red Delicious was taken to provide the group's customers with red apples over December and January.
Weyers said it formed part of the standard policy of the group's fruit and vegetables procurement arm, Freshmark, to import fresh produce out of season so that its service levels to customers remain constant throughout the year.
He believes that the importation will have no effect on local apple markets, because the American fruit constitutes a fraction of the Shoprite Group's annual local purchases of more than three million cartons.
- Sake24.com
For more business news in Afrikaans, go to Sake24.com.