Joli apples are large, red-skinned, sweet and juicy and are aimed at consumers seeking premium quality and taste.— Photo courtesy of T&G Global

HÀ NỘI — New Zealand fruit producer T&G Global has launched its premium Joli apple variety in Việt Nam, making the Southeast Asian country the first market where the variety has been introduced to consumers.

T&G Apples managing director Shane Kingston, said Joli apples are large, red-skinned, sweet and juicy and are aimed at consumers seeking premium quality and taste.

Choosing Việt Nam for the global launch is part of T&G's strategy to expand exports in Asia, while giving Vietnamese consumers access to a new premium apple variety from New Zealand, Kingston said.

He said developing a new apple variety such as Joli involved more than a decade of breeding, testing and cultivation before it could reach the market. When successful, he said, the benefits extended beyond growers to regional communities, consumers and the wider New Zealand economy.

He said T&G’s other premium apple variety, the Envy, had shown how New Zealand innovation can create value in global markets – having this year surpassed $1 billion in global sales.

The apple is now being grown on the Canterbury Plains and T&G has licensed 273ha of Joli apples in Aotearoa New Zealand, with plans to boost this to 1500ha globally by 2035.

While global apple consumption is growing modestly, demand for premium varieties is expanding as consumers become more willing to pay for trusted brands that offer consistent quality and taste.

The global premium apple market is expected to grow from $13 billion in 2025 to $19 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of nearly 8 per cent. — VNS