—by Kate Prengaman
Doug Pauly of Northern Fruit speaks to the Washington Apple Fee throughout a Could 23 assembly in Yakima about his proposal to launch a collective well being messaging program. Although board members have been constructive in regards to the common concept of well being messaging within the face of declining consumption, no motion was taken following Pauly’s pitch. (Kate Prengaman/Good Fruit Grower)
Ought to the Washington Apple Fee dip a toe again into the world of home advertising by backing a brand new marketing campaign selling the well being advantages of apples?
The fee’s board thought of that proposal, offered by Doug Pauly of Northern Fruit, throughout its assembly Could 23 however didn’t take motion.
“Everyone knows that our present provide/demand stability is damaged,” Pauly mentioned, regardless of the trade producing better-than-ever apple high quality. “There’s one gap in what we try to do: Who’s waking up every single day and attempting to ship the message that apples are a well being meals? What if we collectively create (that) job?”
He requested the commissioners to think about tasking WAC with outlining a proposal for a modest well being messaging program, funded at $.01 per field. That will increase $1.3 million per 12 months. To be enacted, such a proposal would require assist from the WAC board after which exit to a vote and garner assist from 66 % of growers.
Growers fighting low returns would doubtless assist such a measure, mentioned board member Cass Gebbers, however he thinks a greater venue for such a program lies in a nationwide effort at the moment underneath growth, often called the Apple Consumption Undertaking.
“I consider in a nationwide deal; we have to give attention to the apple class,” he mentioned. “We’ve a ton of traction proper now.”
Apple leaders from across the nation are gathering to chart a path to fund consumption-focused advertising with out assessing growers, Gebbers mentioned.
Pauly urged the board to think about getting WAC concerned within the problem as nicely. “It’s easy, it’s centered, and we are able to do it now,” he mentioned.
No vote was taken.
Grower and board member Dave Robison mentioned it’s clear the trade must embrace some type of promoting, as different commodities do.
“It embarrasses me that now we have no apple promoting. We’re manner behind,” he mentioned.
In different enterprise, apple fee workers shared updates on $7 million in new federal funding for export promotions from the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program, a strategic planning replace, and plans to host a rep assembly in Washington this fall — for the primary time since 2018. •
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