Blue Whale has started harvesting club apple variety Ariane, and the fruit is expected to hit retail shelves on September 29.
The French apple shipper invited buyers and distributors from the UK, France and Spain to its orchards on September 16 to participate in the start the harvest.
Jean Champiex, president of Pomalia, and François Laurens, researcher at INRA, the French National Institute for Agricultural Research, kicked off proceedings with a presentation of Ariane’s qualities and environmental attributes.
Visitors then toured the orchards and took part in the harvest. The day ended with a trip to a Blue Whale packhouse.
Ariane is the fruit is 25 years of research by INRA and is suited to environmentally responsible production.
The apple’s natural resistance to scab means phytosanitary applications on the orchards can be halved.
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