Barolli Orchards in Australia’s Goulburn Valley has joined the Red Moon apple team to grow and market red-fleshed apples for the Australian market.
According to APAL’s weekly newsletter, Industry Juice, Barolli Orchards has secured one of just five global licenses to grow the apple, which will be marketed as Red Moon Surprise Inside.
Three trial blocks have been planted across the states of New South Wales (NSW), Tasmania and Victoria, and Barolli Orchards head of operations, Nathan Barolli said he’s confident the two RM1 and RS1 varieties will perform well in apple-growing regions.
“It’s a pretty nice tree to grow,” said Barolli. “We’ve achieved the best internal colour in the cooler sites at Batlow (NSW) and Tasmania, but we can manage heat stress at other sites to get good colour too.”
“The flavour of red-fleshed apples has gotten better and better through developments and breeding and we believe Red Moon Surprise Inside is the pick of the crop because it has such a beautiful eating quality,” he said.
The Barolli family first learned of the variety on a trip to Italy, where it is managed by the same team as the Kiku brand apple.
In 2018, Italian growers produced 1,000 tonnes of Red Moon Surprise Inside apples, receiving positive consumer reception.
Barolli Orchards will lead the marketing of Red Moon Surprise Inside in Australia, backed by brand owner Red Moon Company.
