THERE'S a juggling act going on at Ardrossan Batlow Apples.
On one hand, grower and director Ian Cathels is maintaining output volumes of the mainstay varieties such Pink Lady, Gala, Fuji and Red Delicious.
On the other, he's keeping a careful eye on his new market entrants, Kanzi and Greenstar, demand for which is outstripping supply.
Ian said both the new varieties are up and running but he's taking baby steps to ensure everything is done right for longer term gains.
"Each year you have to convince the supermarkets that this is a good variety to have. The promotion of something can't really happen until you sort out the volume," he said.
"It's not a one-year plan. This is a good 12-year development you're putting money into."
The Batlow, NSW orchard has about 100 hectares under apples and while keeping up the usual supplies is important, the future lies in the new lines.
There are three orchards situated within the Snowy Mountains region of New South Wales; Gocup, purchased by David Cathels (Ian's father) in the 1950s; Woodburn, where the large packing shed and cool store facilities are located; and Ardrossan.
The Kanzi variety has already seemingly struck a chord with apple eaters.
"The reaction to Kanzi has been excellent and feedback has been very good from both the trade and consumers," Ian said.
"Greenstar is a very good apple but it has been more of a challenge than Kanzi to get off the ground."
The official website for the Kanzi variety describes it as having a "deliciously well-balanced sweet and sour flavour" that derives from a blend of a juicy Gala and a tangy, sweet Braeburn.
Greenstar is regarded as the only sweet green apple in the world.
For Ian, one of the stand-out characteristics is the non-oxidising feature, meaning the apples won't brown after being cut like regular varieties, due to the apple naturally having three times the normal content of Vitamin C.
He said there are a lot of great aspects to the new apples and people are hearing about them, but ensuring they are in front of consumers who want them is the biggest challenge.
This year's crop is shaping up well though as he predicts it to be about twice the volume of previous harvests.
Greenstar Kanzi Europe NV (GKE NV) has been the variety manager of the two apple brands since 2004. It has exclusive global rights for both.
According to Ian there are about 30 growers throughout the country growing Kanzi and Greenstar, all of which come under a licensing agreement to have the fruit marketed in specific ways and through certain channels.
It's a situation which Ian said he has come to appreciate.
"At this stage it is working. Ten years ago I would have been totally against it but now with the dominance of supermarkets and limited outlets, I do think it is the way of the future," he said.
The farms sit above Hume Dam which means it is has an unregulated water allocation, drawing from a natural creek.
If the creek drops below a certain level, irrigation stops. All trees are under drip irrigation. Ian said rain this season had put them in a manageable position.
