Outright Piracy – “Pink Lady” Apples Are Sold in Uzbekistan’s Supermarkets

According to EastFruit experts, fresh fruits and vegetables represent the least branded and “brandable” food category.

Against this background, the few exceptions to this rule stand out particularly brightly. Specifically, Pink Lady® apples can be considered as one of the world’s most popular and successful fresh apple brands. This brand belongs to Apple and Pear Australia Ltd (APAL), under which the Cripps Pink apple variety is grown and sold.

Unfortunately, intellectual property rights for this brand are systematically violated in Uzbekistan, where the “Pink Lady” apple has become very popular in recent years. Moreover, leading supermarkets in the country are actively selling apples under this brand without any permission from the brand owners.

Read also: President of Pink Lady Apples in Europe unveils plans for 2030

It should be noted that the extremely low quality of these apples in Uzbekistan discredits the Pink Lady brand. After all, this brand only permits the sale of apples that meet very strict quality standards, which has been the key to Pink Lady’s success worldwide. In particular, to obtain the right to sell apples of this variety under the Pink Lady brand, the fruits must have a sugar content from 13 to 15%, firmness from 6.5 to 9, color intensity from 4.5 to 5, and have no significant defects. Additionally, there are high requirements for the apple’s coloration, which can only be guaranteed in regions with high temperature variations between day and night during crop formation. This is precisely why Uzbekistan is unlikely to ever receive the right to officially grow Pink Lady, as it is difficult to find suitable climatic zones in the country.

As seen in the photo from a Tashkent supermarket in Uzbekistan, the apple advertised as Pink Lady completely fails to meet not only the brand’s criteria but also the minimum international quality standards for fresh apples in general.

Producers wishing to grow apples under the Pink Lady® brand must obtain a license, which includes an annual fee and royalties dependent on production volume. The cost of a license to grow the apple varies by country but can average around $4,000 US dollars for a single producer. Additionally, about $80-100 US dollars in royalties are paid for each ton of apples sold. Thus, royalties and licensing alone cost about 10 US cents per kilogram when growing apples for sale under this brand, not counting the actual costs of cultivation.

Typically, thanks to its quality and investment in advertising, the Pink Lady brand apple sells for more than other apple varieties and brands. In Tashkent, however, this apple sells for less than many others because the quality is clearly not very high.

For reference: The history of the Pink Lady® apple began in 1973 in Western Australia, where horticulturist John Cripps, working at the Department of Agriculture, crossed the ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Lady Williams’ apple varieties. The result was the “Cripps Pink” variety, distinguished by its firm texture, balanced sweet-tart flavor, and excellent storage characteristics. Introduced to the market in 1991, this apple became one of the first sold under a registered trademark, which created a precedent in the fruit industry and formed the basis for the development of so-called “club varieties” of apples or “apple clubs.”

Cripps Pink apples require a long growing season – about 200 days – and thrive in warm climates with significant temperature differences between day and night to achieve the necessary coloration. Such conditions are characteristic of regions in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, as well as some parts of the USA and Europe.

Over the years of cultivation, several natural mutations of the Cripps Pink variety have been identified, which, when meeting quality standards, are included in the Pink Lady® brand. These include “Rosy Glow,” “Lady in Red,” “Maslin,” “Ruby Pink,” and “Barnsby.”