Japan Pink Lady　Ｂｕｓｉｎｅｓｓ Association 　　Presentation :IPAL 2008 Annual General meeting on 6th,7thand 8th October 2008 at The Havelock North Community center 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　in NewZealand IPAL : International Pink Lady Alliance    The Pink Lady Japan Bussiness Association . General Director : Takanobu Nakamura. I am a member of the association and a Pink LadyTM grower . I have 13ha (30acres) of apple orchards in NaganoPrefecture . Nagano is located in the central part of Japan . I have 650 cripps Pink  trees . ★Market Review Tasmanian Pink LadyTM First of all ,  I would like to talk about Tasmanian Pink Lady TM apples imported to Japan .　Do you Know where Tasmania is ? In July of this year , Tasmanian PinkLadyTM apples were imported to Japan for promotion . There were 315 cartons (3,780Kg) of apples .They included 5 varieties including Royal Gala , Red Delicious , Golden Delicious , Jonagold , Granny Smith and Pink LadyTM .The fruit was imported by supermarket chain Max Value .The fruit was sold as part of an Australia fare promotion with  some other Tasmanian products , Tasmanian beef , beer , cheese , wine , Chocolate etc…It was a large event . The Tasmanian trade mission was also represented by David Llewellyn who is the Minister of Agliculture in Tasmania .The apple section of the promotion was Fruit Growers Tasmania’s project . The aim of the project was two-fold: a)    to test these varieties under commercial conditions for fumigation. b)     to test consumers perceptions of these varieties  　On July 10th , The Tasmanian mission invited me to a reception  in Tokyo .It was a wonderful party with enjoyable conversation and delicious food . David was a very nice person , He was very friendly to Japanese. His son has a Japanese wife . I also talked with Ms Lucy Gregg, the business manager of Fruit Ｇrower Tasmania Ltd . She was very charming . It was a FUN night and my wife also enjoyed the party . So then we visited the Tasmania fare in Max value supermarkets a few days later with other PLJ members .  Unfortunately ,it was a let down for us . We couldn’t see any PinkLadyTM logos or stickers in store .It looked like Pink LadyTM was just another ordinary apple type. Price was the same as other varieties . Pink LadyTM was not a special  brand . Size was OK .  Of course they are smaller than normal Japanese apple .  But it was alright .Colour was not good . We hope for more colour . Taste was very poor, they seemed unripe . We were not very pleased with them , especially as we thought these Pink LadyTM apples would not provide a good image for Japanese consumers .There was also an issue of superficial scalding of some Pink Ladies possibly as a result of fumigation damage .  We have just started selling Pink LadyTM in Japan . We hope if Pink LadyTM apples are imported from other countries , they must be of good quality . We hope to make good brand image with them in the future . Marketing  We sold some  PinkLadyTM apple in the year 2007 -2008 .They were only a few apples , some members sold at farmers shop and I sold to cake shop and direct to consumers .My opinion , PinkLadyTM  has really good potential for selling  direct to consumers. This way  we can explain more details about Pink LadyTM . They can easily understand about Pink ladyTM .  Japanese marketing method is different from other countries.　For example my farm, We have 13 ha . Productino is about 400tones . About 30% of apples are sent a  through a cooperative and then go to wholesale markets . another 30% of apple we sell in local farmers shop . And the remaining apple we sell direct to family consumers . I have a list of about 1000 family consumers  and they buy many apples every year . Some of them use applea sa a gift . In Japan, the end of November to the middle of December are gift season . Many consumer order direct from growers . I send more than 2,000 boxes to send as gifts . So almost all Pink LadyTM members are the same as me . They sell directly to consumers . ofcourse not all Japanese growers are doing the same . but many are doing  . Presently we sell directly to consumers . ofcourse we will begin to think about selling  in supermarkets in the near future . We will promote to supermarkets soon .  We only have pakages for 3kg and 5kg boxes . They are for family consumers .  How to make a brand image in Japan . We suggested to cake shop for Christmas season and  Valentine day . Catch phraise Pink LadyTM is apple for Lovers !  Lovers apple PinkLadyTM ! Another idea / Pink LadyTM Fan club . We have a web site for PinkLadyJapan . We will make a PinkLadyTM fan club in the web site .and offer a membership option .But how to make incentives to join ?  We are currently discussing  about.    ★ Production Review PinkLadyJapan was established in 2006. To start with in the spring of 2006 , We planted 900 trees representing 9 growers . last year we planted 600 trees . This year  we planted 1200trees . We have planted a total of 2,700trees in Japan now .This year they are in their third year in leaf . Each tree has about 30 apples . we will produce a total of about 27,000 apples this year . It ‘s only about 5400Kg . Increasing the member of  growers The association members number 17 including 1 nursery man .They are all growers who live in　Nagano　Prefecture . We hope to expand to other apple growing areas and we have succeded in having  17 growers who are testing Cripps Pink .  They are living in 4 different prefectures, Aomori , Iwate , Yamagata , Gunma .  Almost every  famous apple growing area in Japan is now testing Pink LadyTM . They each planted 3 trees this year and became  B class members . We hope in the near future , they will become A class members as soon as possible .We tried expanding to other growers also in Nagano but it ‘s very difficult . We will have only 3 new members next year and they will plant in the spring 2009. In February of this year , we promoted  Pink LadyTM apples at  2 locations where  Nagano apple growers were meeting  .Many growers ate the apples and we listened to their coments .Unfortunately no one said It’s delicious.　Almost all people compared the taste with Fuji . Japanese people like a sweet apple . They said Pink Lady is sour .  They also said PinkLadyTM is small . They know Japanese people like large apples .So almost all growers were negative , They are very conservative  .Ofcourse I don’t think PinkLadyTM will take the position of Fuji . Our goal in the future  is only 300ha , that will be 10,000 tones . It’s only 1% of Japanese apple production . We think Pink LadyTM has potential , a good name , good storage , well suited to making apple cake and pie’s .Ofcourse there are some Japanese who don’t like sweet apples . It’s not necesary for 100%of people to like the taste  of Pink Lady .  More coments  many growers made 2 questions were,How to sell this apple ?　Will the Market accept it and give a good price ? 　About these question , We have no answer , we don’t know . Our production is not much  , we have not yet sent the apple to wholesale markets . Any way we believe when we make a profit , more growers will become members . Pink Lady Japan is just 3 years old . We wish to expand .Our progress is slow , but step by step  we approach the future with confidence..