Apples

Fresh apples are a logistics-sensitive trade: variety, size count, colour grade and controlled-atmosphere storage history determine both quality on arrival and remaining shelf life. Ask about storage history, not just harvest date: an apple's remaining life is a function of how it has been held.

Canadian production centres on Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec and Nova Scotia, with variety mix differing by region.

Frozen slices and diced product are a separate processing trade serving bakery and manufacturing, specified on variety, treatment against browning, size and pack format. These avoid the fresh-fruit logistics problem entirely and are frequently the better route for a manufacturing buyer.

For fresh programmes, variety selection should follow destination consumer preference rather than Canadian popularity. Sweetness, crispness and skin colour expectations differ substantially between markets, and a variety that leads at home can sit unsold in a market where the texture preference runs the other way.