One of Australia's leading stone fruit producers says its decision to expand its range to high-sugar plums was to help cater to the requests of its "loyal Asian buyers".
Cutri Fruit, based in Victoria, brought exclusive varieties in from Israel a few years ago, with the first few varieties released from quarantine, and an initial planting of 14,000 trees put in the ground a few months ago. Marketing Manager Nicole Cutri says the plums are being grown in an innovative way, which will then see them come into production much quicker than the standard growing methods currently employed.
"High-sugar plums have been a constant request from our overseas buyers, and we’ve simply just listened, and planted," she said. "During the recent Asia Fruit Logistica we had some samples of the varieties we are and will be growing, and our customers were really impressed by them, which is a great start."
Photo: Cutri Fruit's avocado plantings
The company is also expanding into Hass avocados, with an initial planting of 40 hectares at the beginning of this year, which will run at the opposite time of year to most of the Cutri Fruit's other produce.
"It’s been a huge financial cost for the business, but it’s something we feel very positive about, and we hope it adds another exciting chapter to our business," Ms Cutri said. "Avocados are a forever 'hot' item in the customer’s grocery basket, and they have the benefit of coming into production at a time when we are not busy with the production of our stone fruit. We can then extend the use of our innovative packing facility, and can give year-round work to our valued employees. We have decided to expand into these other fruit types, as we see a great future in both."
Cutri Fruit’s first varieties of stone fruit traditionally comes into season in October, but Ms Cutri says it is difficult to predict accurately the date of first pick for the season, as it largely depends on the changing weather.
"So far the season is progressing nicely," she said. "We’ve had over 1,000 chill units accumulated so far this winter, which is great for the fruit. The warm weather is now starting to break through, and the blossoms are out in full. Another huge benefit to fruit grown from our region, specifically, is the clear blue skies and fresh clean air, which are perfect for growing a healthful, quality product. Due to having such little cloud cover within this region, the high penetration rates of the sun then lead to higher natural sugars within the fruit, which our markets just love."
Photo: Cutri Fruit's trees in full bloom.
The company has recently appointed a new Export Manager, which it is hoping can continue to grow the strong export programme that has been running for more than thirty years - ten of those independently. Ms Cutri says the customers truly value the strong Quality Assurance and Quality Control standards here in Australia.
"Our main markets are throughout Asia, due to our close proximity to those countries," she said. "Each year we seem to expand into a different and new market. I think what appeals to our customers most is the sweetness and quality of our fruits. We have seen an increase across all types around the globe, including our own domestic market. However, with the access now of nectarines into China, there has been an increase in demand for white nectarines into China. White peaches have also gained popularity globally, as other Asian markets become more educated on the delights of stone fruit."
For more information:Nicole Cutri
Cutri Fruit
Phone: +61 3 5037 6661