{"id":576091,"date":"2026-08-21T17:52:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T17:52:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/576091\/"},"modified":"2026-08-21T17:52:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T17:52:19","slug":"celebrating-70-years-of-new-zealand-apples-as-southern-hemisphere-envy-crop-arrives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/576091\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating 70 years of New Zealand apples as southern hemisphere Envy crop arrives"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

As Oppy welcomes the first arrivals of fresh Southern Hemisphere Envy\u2122 apples, the company is also celebrating 70 years of bringing New Zealand apples to North America.<\/p>\n

According to a recent independent consumer study by the company, New Zealand continues to have a strong reputation among shoppers, with 71 percent of consumers familiar with New Zealand fruit, considering it favorable to alternate sources. Nearly 70 percent are willing to pay a premium for New Zealand fruit, citing better taste, longer freshness and confidence in food safety, while more than 90 percent rate New Zealand fruit highly for taste and flavor.<\/p>\n

With apples arriving first from New Zealand and South Africa before transitioning to Chile later in the season, the company’s global Envy\u2122 program deliver a seamless, year-round supply.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a9 OppyJohn Anderson in front of the New Zealand Apple & Pear Marketing Board.<\/p>\n

“As we celebrate 70 years of partnership between Oppy and New Zealand growers, we’re proud to continue connecting North American consumers with exceptional fruit that consistently delivers on flavor and eating experience,” said Piers Hanbury, executive director of apples, pears and category development. “The new crop looks outstanding and positions us well to support strong retail performance throughout the season.”<\/p>\n

Consumer awareness of the country’s apple industry is strong, with apples ranking among the most recognized and purchased categories. New Zealand fruit also receives high marks for its premium quality credentials, with 88 percent of consumers rating it highly for quality.<\/p>\n

The company introduced New Zealand-grown Granny Smith apples to North America in 1956. That legacy is reflected in the 51-year relationship of CEO, managing partner and chair John Anderson has had with New Zealand’s Apple and Pear Marketing Board, helping introduce additional varieties over the years.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a9 Oppy
L-R: Piers Hanbury, John Anderson, James Milne<\/p>\n

“As a proud Kiwi, this anniversary is personally meaningful to me,” said James Milne, senior vice president of categories and chief marketing officer. “I began my career marketing New Zealand apples and joined Oppy in 1994 to help grow its apple business. Since then, I’ve had the honor of working across virtually every category in our portfolio, but New Zealand apples have always held a special place for me. Celebrating 70 years of partnership between Oppy and New Zealand growers is a testament to the strength of our relationships and a shared commitment to excellence.”<\/p>\n

Demand for Envy apples continues to grow as consumers seek premium apple varieties that deliver sweetness, crunch and consistency. Backed by strategic partnerships across Washington, New York, New Zealand, South Africa and Chile, Oppy’s year-round supply program ensures uninterrupted availability while maintaining the high standards shoppers expect from the category.<\/p>\n

\"\"For more information:
Kelsey Van Lissum
Oppy
Tel.: +1 (604) 461-6779
[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>
www.oppy.com<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As Oppy welcomes the first arrivals of fresh Southern Hemisphere Envy\u2122 apples, the company is also celebrating…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":576092,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[111,43,139,69],"class_list":["post-576091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=576091"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576091\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/576092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=576091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=576091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=576091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}