With a new campaign #WashingtonApplesKuchhKhaasHai in India Washington Apple Commission plans to promote the brand in and out with their new brand ambassadors. PEAKLIFE speaks to Todd Fryhover, President, Washington Apple Commission and Sumit Saran, the India Representative for Washington Apple Commission.

Washington Apple Commission appoints their ambassadors, actor Disha Patani and Chef Sanjeev Kapoor to advocate the brand in India. They both along with Todd Fryhover, President, Washington Apple Commission and Sumit Saran, the India Representative for Washington Apple Commission were there at the launch of their campaign #WashingtonApplesKuchhKhaasHai.

Washington Apple Commission is the promotional arm of the Washington apple industry. It is the mission of the commission to serve the Washington apple industry by increasing consumer demand through innovative marketing and promotions in international markets. In India, SS Associates represent the Washington Apple commission.

The guest of honour at the event was US Ambassador to India Kenneth I. Juster. The event also saw growers Lindsey Morrison, Dave and Karla Robison and James Foreman who especially travelled to India to be a part of the launch.

Speaking to PEAKLIFE Todd Fryhover, President, Washington Apple Commission and Sumit Saran, the India Representative for Washington Apple Commission shared their strategic planning of year 2020.

What are plans of Washington Apples in India?

Todd: We were there in India since 2001, earlier to which Washington Apples used to be come to India via Middle East countries. Now that we have established, we would like to maintain the same. So, with our duty disadvantage, we have a 20% additional duty on US apples versus the other origins. We think it’s very important to be in the market right now in the minds of the consumers and they know about the high-quality Washington Apple. They may cost a little bit more but they’re worth it.

What is the technology going behind these tasty Apples?

Todd: Well its technology, when you harvest the apples the first thing you have to do is taking it to the cold storage as quickly as possible. Maintaining that to zero to one-degree temperatures which is quite critical. Apples are respiratory just like you and I, we provide respirators at a much smaller level. The second thing is our ability to follow food, safety regulations, that depends on how we’re washing the food, packing the fruit in a nice uniform.

Talking about the Food Mile, how safe is the Washington Apples are safe for Indian consumers?

Todd: In terms of food safety its safe. As far as the Food Mile I do understand, but the market size is bigger of what can’t be supplied from Kashmir. So, there’s 28 to 30 million bushels of potential in this marketplace and we feel like we need to be the majority of those apples. We’d love to be all of them just because of our quality reputation and consumers here know us for 20 years.

Sumit: I mean there are lot of factors, cycle was the best ways of transport because doesn’t do any pollution, but we can’t depend on a bicycle all year long. There are theories and the realities in the other peers and also, I think it’s not right to bind the local production in geographical boundaries. In terms of growing practices, Washington is one of the strongest and most environmentally conscious state, the quality and the grade of the apples are exactly same as the once sold to the locals in US.

What is growth rate in India?

Sumit: We have around 4000 to 8 million boxes is supplied to India. According DGCIS, in terms of numbers we in the year 2014-15 we have had 198,000 metric ton and which is increased to 283,000 metric tons, at a year it is growing at 15 to 20 % CGR.

With Disha Patani and Chef Sanjeev Kapoor in as brand Ambassadors what they bringing to the brand?

Sumit: So, we have big campaign coming up. The idea was that to bring a connect with the new age millennials and the next generation which Disha will be doing. On the other hand, we wanted to create a trust of the brand where we got Chef Sanjeev to picture. He also visited Washington to see the entire process and asked how you would promote this, when we have our own Indian Apples in the season, once he was convinced from all this, that we are actually expanding the baskets of apple in India rather than one vs another. So, our challenge is not with apples to apples, but to control the junk. With the campaign #WashingtonApplesKuchhKhaasHai this is what we are going to bring.

Washington Apples altogether supplies to the various parts of the world, what would be the annual growth?

Todd: We have around 1,260 Apple growers in the state of Washington for approximately 162,000 acres. People are trying to utilize the land more efficiently, so rather than having 400 trees on a particular acre, they have other 1200 trees in the place. Along with that comes rises in productivity. When we go back just 20 years, we were less than 100 million farms, but we have increased 150 million farms. So gradually we are decreasing the acres but increasing the output.