Purchasing an Australian Pink Lady apple in the Middle East may soon be easier than one might think.

With over a million tonnes of apples consumed in the region each year, industry representative body Apple and Pear Australia says the time is now right to invest in expansion.

“In the region, Pink Lady apples have secured a foothold in some of the better retailers so the time is right to invest in resources on the ground to take the next level growth,” Craig Chester, Head of Commercial and Brand Development at Apple and Pear Australia (APAL) said.

According to Chester, the first step in moving forward was appointing local licencing and market development agency, LucaZara, based in Dubai.

Luca Zara will work with APAL and Pink Lady Development to help spread the fruit further and to tackle the issue of lower quality Pink Ladies being dumped in the region only to tarnish the brand.

“The starting point will be ensuring minimum Pink lady standards are committed to by our chosen licensed importers,” Chester said.

“We feel that given the inherent quality of Australian fruit, there is a greater role for Australian Pink Lady in improving quality perceptions and growing the market. Over time we hope this partnership with LucaZara in the region can become a launch platform for other commercial venture for Australian apple and pear growers,” he stated.

The Pink Lady apple, also known as Cripps Pink, originated in Australia in the early 1970s when horticulturalist John Cripps crossed the Lady Williams apple with the Golden Delicious apple.

The fruit has already seen success in South East Asia and is popular in the UK.

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