Declining consumption, trade war among concerns for apple growers

Norfolk County farmer Chris Hedges of Vanessa chairs Ontario Apple Growers, an advocacy group that represents the province’s 200 commercial apple farmers.

J.P. Antonacci

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

With apple consumption in decline in Ontario, Norfolk County apple farmer Chris Hedges wants to remind shoppers of the many benefits of buying local.

“The carbon footprint of an imported apple is substantial,” said Hedges, who farms 750 acres of apple orchards on farms in Vanessa and Delhi.

An Ontario-grown apple, Hedges continued, “is likely cheaper at the store than the imported one, it’s had less travel time, it’s fresher.”

“Even though it may have been stored, it’s been moved around less, (so) the quality should be better, flavour should be better,” he added.

Shoppers can also feel good about supporting their neighbours who work to grow, pick, package and distribute Ontario fruit, said Hedges, who chairs Ontario Apple Growers (OAG), an advocacy and marketing group representing approximately 200 commercial apple growers.

“There’s no doubt the spinoff and the overall economic benefit of buying local far exceeds buying something imported,” Hedges said.

“You have the whole industry that’s attached to the production of apples.”

The province’s apple industry generates about $120 million in annual sales, with 15 varieties growing on nearly 16,000 acres.

While some Ontario apples are exported to the United States and other overseas markets, most fruit grown here is eaten here.

“Generally speaking, Ontario remains an importer of fruit,” Hedges said. “The export opportunities largely depend on the season.”

If growers in foreign markets luck into good weather, their own production will satisfy demand, he explained. But if a bad year elsewhere coincides with a bumper crop in Ontario, local growers can sell beyond Canada’s borders at a healthy margin.

Hedges grows Ontario’s three most popular apple varieties by acreage planted - Gala, Honeycrisp and Ambrosia.

Former powerhouses like McIntosh, Empire and Red Delicious are declining in terms of domestic consumption, though the legacy varieties still have some cachet overseas.

Shoppers in a rural area like Norfolk can buy apples near where they are grown, sometimes directly from the farm. It takes more work to reach urban consumers who lack that direct connection to their food, so Hedges’ association turns to social media and in-store branding.

Worryingly for apple growers, consumers appear to be thinking of the sweet fruit less often when browsing the produce section.

“One thing we are seeing is per-capita consumption of apples is on the decline,” Hedges said.

“That’s a fairly recent observation.”

While the reasons for the decline are unclear, Hedges said the abundance of new apple varieties on offer could be confusing consumers.

“If you go buy peaches or cherries, it’s a peach, it’s a cherry, so you buy that. Whereas the regular consumer goes in and sees eight or nine different varieties of apples and don’t know what they are. And maybe they buy something else.”

The cost of fuel and fertilizer has risen dramatically, but consumers can only stomach so much by way of higher prices, Hedges added. Add in global uncertainty over U.S. tariffs, and farmers are feeling stressed.

“We’re spending a lot more money growing the crop than we have in the past, and I would say that we’re not achieving the returns from the marketplace to cover those increases,” Hedges said.

The first-generation farmer has seen ups and downs over his nearly 30 years in the industry, but he is confident apples will remain a staple for decades to come.

“Ontario apples are a popular, year-round fruit choice, and we will continue to advocate for the legislative support we need from all levels of government to produce food in an economically sustainable way,” Hedges said.

- J.P. Antonacci is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter based at the Hamilton Spectator. The initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.