Modì apples will hit Australian supermarket shelves earlier than ever before in 2017.
Freshmax – the company responsible for Modì’s presence in Australia – revealed the Italian-bred variety will be in Coles stores across Victoria and New South Wales by the end of February next year, along with the Melbourne and Sydney wholesale markets.
“Until now the volume of Modi available for consumers has not been large enough to range all season, so we had to pick our window carefully,” explained Matthew Crouch, group marketing manager of Freshmax. “As trees mature and more are planted, the amount of fruit being produced increases year on year for some time,
“Now that volumes are really climbing, we can start to supply right the way through – launching before most premium varieties and ranging for the whole season.”
Currently grown in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley, Modì was originally conceived by Italian apple breeders in Ferrara, Italy.
The name comes from Amedeo Modigliani, an artist born in Livorno and affectionately known as Modi to his friends. Modigliani was famous for his portraits of women painted using intense red earth colours, just like those of the Modì apple. The vibrant red apple has been bred with high levels of crunch and sweetness.
“Consumers just can’t seem to get enough of their unbelievable crunch and sweetness, making them perfect for eating on its own or added to your favourite recipes - their sweetness makes them perfect for desserts,” said Rocky Varapodio of Oakmoor Orchards in Ardmona. “Modì is now in its third year and it’s great that we can celebrate this by producing a longer season than we’ve had previously.”
