August will see the first arrivals of pitahaya to the UK marketplace from Israeli exporter Agrexco.
Varieties include the main crop dragon fruit, easily recognisable with its red skin and white flesh and available from August to November, and Venus, the red pitahaya with the same skin but with red/purple flesh, also available during the same period.
Oded Yacovson, general manager for Agrexco UK, said: “Growers are switching over from the white flesh varieties to Venus, which gives a more stable supply as well as a longer shelf life. The fruit, although not organic, is grown pesticide-free - a fact that is becoming increasingly important in the current climate.”
Other varieties are Apollo, with yellow skin and white flesh, again available from August to November and dragon eggs - a small variety running later in the year from October to March.
Estimated quantities for the coming season will be 200-250 tonnes.
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