Unlike automobile plants, changing varieties requires that the old plant is razed and a huge investment is put into a new plant. Barritt also pointed out that the period when new varieties are highly profitable is growing ever shorter as more and more growers rush to plant them. To have a chance at the premiums, the new variety must be planted at high density and in ignorance. The grower must accept that they will not know all its faults, or how to optimize quality and production. Not everyone is cut out to accept that kind of risk in his or her lives.
New varieties are risky investments.
Historically, the United States apple industry has left this phase to others like New Zealand, then hopped on the bandwagon once the parade was underway. Pro-active marketing of new varieties will involve risk and costs that we have never had to bear. Growers in northern regions with cool, short growing seasons would be at a distinct disadvantage in competing in the introductory phase. It takes longer to establish the bearing surface in such climates, and the threat of winter injury restricts the liberal use of irrigation and fertilizer to push new trees into early production. Growers in these regions may be better off to stick with niche varieties that warmer regions can't grow well.