AS workers within an industry, it can be difficult to take off the tinted glasses and see the world from a consumer's point of view.
We throw around the names of the many varieties grown like they are old friends: Ruby Gem, Rockit, Stefano, Kestrel, Murcott, Black Diamond, etc.
Outside the realms of horticulture, these aren't well known. (Some of the newer ones aren't even known within the industry for that matter.)
Recent Potato Tracker information released by Ausveg shows many Australians don’t know their King Edwards from their Kennebecs.
The research showed some people can’t name a single variety of potato, despite being the most commonly purchased vegetable commodity.
When quizzed on which potato varieties they typically purchase, 32 per cent were unable to recall any variety of potato at all when unprompted, while 15pc of respondents indicated that they don’t know which potatoes they are buying when presented with different varieties.
This might be a concern for those the wider body of nut, fruit or vegetable growers who've committed a particular line on the promise of it becoming the popular thing.
Some sectors have managed to position themselves as exceptions to the rule: apples come to mind first.
Granny Smiths, Pink Ladies, Fuji and Red Delicious are terms apple eaters know.
But even here the question must be asked- is there such a thing as too many?
The supermarkets do their best to provide information about what differs between them.
It was interesting to conduct a thoroughly non scientific survey at the National Horticulture convention, asking different companies to describe their apple varieties.
About nine out of 10 would have used the words "crisp and sweet", leaving one to wonder exactly what makes them all different.
How is it then that in the cereal aisle there are so many boxes but some stand out?
There may be heaps but really there's only one box of Fruit Loops or Weet Bix, no matter the generic packets stacked nearby.
At the end of the day, branding and marketing are important but it seems time-poor shoppers may be after "an avocado" as opposed to a Hass or Shepherd, or a "bunch of grapes" instead of a bunch of Menindee or Red Globes.
There are buyers that know their stuff of course but it seems as family connections to agriculture lessen with each generation, their distinguishing powers can't be relied upon.
