Pink Lady tops with Irish consumers as apple sales fall

Pink Lady is poised to overtake Gala to become Ireland’s number one selling apple, according to Michal Slawski in the Horticulture Department at Bord Bia.

In the past year, Pink Lady sales are up 12.4% in value.

However, that is where the good news ends for apple sellers — because the Irish apple market is declining.

While the average shopper still spends €70.60 on apples every year, market analysts are finding they buy less volume per shopping, attributed in part to smaller packs on display in the shops.

Sales of cooking apples have declined about 20% in value, with fewer shoppers buying them, and less volume being purchased, at lower prices.

Cooking apples sales have always been dominated by older groups; while the 65+ group sales are steady, sales to younger groups fell, The sector needs to engage with younger consumers, says Bord Bia.