BATLOW producers grow 50 per cent of the Australian crop of new apple variety, Jazz.
While the variety hit the shelves six years ago, it'll be another three to four years before it hits full production, and it's already experiencing "exponential" sales growth, according to Montague Fresh executive director and national sales and procurement manager Scott Montague.
Mr Montague said in 2009, 300 cartons of Jazz reached the shelves, and this year 300,000 tonnes was expected to hit the market - and a month into this year's season 100,000t had already been sold.
The 2015 crop is valued at $14 million, which represents a 24 per cent increase on last year's crop.
Mr Montague puts the growth of the variety down to it being one of the first new varieties of apples to reach consumers in almost 20 years.
"People are always looking for innovation and change," Mr Montague said.
"The category of apples hasn't changed much, not since the introduction of the Pink Lady in the early 1990s."
Montague Fresh is the Australian licensee of the Jazz apple, which was created in New Zealand by a collaboration of apple marketer Enza, who holds the global licence for Jazz apples, orchardists and New Zealand Plant and Food Research.
There are now 29 growers of the apple, which is a cross between Braeburn and Gala, in Australia - with just two in Batlow.
Montague Fresh and the Batlow Co-operative produce 50pc of the crop out of the South West Slopes region.
There are approximately 550,000 Jazz trees planted across the country, although not all in full production.
Total apple production, of all varieties within Australia equals 187 million kilograms.
"Batlow is the premier growing area in the country without question, particularly for Jazz," said Mr Montague, who is the third generation of the Montague fruit-producing family to be involved in fruit production.
He said Montague Fresh had selected "the best growers in the country" when starting the variety here in order to create consistency of product.
"We've hit the first round of our capped plantings and I think we underestimated the popularity of the variety and the way it's being accepted by the marketplace.
"The growers who have supported us across the journey are the ones that will get the chance to grow more if we deem the market can accept more fruit."
He said they were only at 50pc production of the fruit at the moment and it would be three to four years before they reached full capacity of 700,000 to 750,000 cartons of Jazz in a season.
"We estimate the market could tolerate to retain the value through the whole chain, from the customer to the grower, through the retail outlets in the middle.
"We are aiming to avoid the commodity market's up and down variables."
Mr Montage said this was to try and create "some sort of certainty in a world of uncertainty".
"As a family business we are proud of the positivity we can give back to regional Australia, which is undervalued as to what it gives the country.
"These growers do it tough, in a tough environment in challenging and changing weather, so to offer some sort of future and stability to regional Australia is good."
Mr Montage said Jazz could be grown anywhere in the country that was traditionally considered a cool climate region.
"Jazz is available anywhere in Australia and grown everywhere - it is being grown locally to supply local areas.
"You want (to grow it in) areas with cool nights and warm days, generally in higher altitude areas.
"You need the cool climate to get the colour and the warm days to get the sugar."
He said the Jazz was created on the back of feedback from consumers.
"Genetically, Jazz doesn't allow itself to go soft and floury.
"One of its parents is Braeburn and that's a crisp and hard apple."
Mr Montague said while the Jazz might cost a bit more for consumers to buy, there was less wastage and shrinkage due to it staying firm and crisp.
"It's not about price, it's about value for money."
Mr Montage said last year Jazz's retail price had been competitive, and sometimes even under traditional apple prices, while this year it was about $1 a kilogram more, depending on promotional material and other market factors.
"Once we start the season we find the Jazz consumers are very loyal and keep coming back."
