The harvest forecasts for RedMoon® look even better than those made in April during flowering; the old estimate in fact spoke of doubling the volume of 2019, settling at 2.000 tons. Today, at the conclusion of the second pick of RS-1 (video showing the first picking of RS-1) Luis Clementi, technical manager of the licensed Company Clementi and co-owner of the brand and Red Moon® Ltd, expects a total of 3.000 tons available for 2020/2021.
“We have actually finished the second picking of RS-1 and together with the other partners we reach 1.500 tons of apples. RS-1 is the earliest red-flesh apple, which ripens before Golden Delicious. We expect a similar quantity for RM-1, which ripens a little later (before Fuji). The harvest for RM-1 will start in late September – early October."
This good result comes thanks to an increase in the areas invested, which went from 58 hectares (35 in Italy and 23 in France) in 2018, the year of the official launch of Red Moon® on the Italian market, to the current over 100, thanks to the full production of new orchards.
Clementi continues: "We are learning how to best grow our two red-flesh varieties, how to manage them in the fields and in storage. The plants in the 4th year have developed good roots and are no longer stressed. The many excellent fruits are an expression of their state of health and well-being. We are very satisfied, because we have not just increased in volume, but this year we are recording a leap in quality with an excellent packout, with about 80-90% of category I and Extra, intended for the fresh consumption. In the previous years the ratio between fresh and industry (e.n. Sparkling juice) was 2/3 and 1/3. Not to forget the color of the flesh, which is becoming more intense and fuller every year. Just amazing!"
Jurgen Braun shows the inside of a Red Moon® apple just picked
Jurgen Braun, co-owner of KIKU Variety Management, a partner company of Red Moon Ltd., in charge of marketing activities, adds: "3.000 tons allow us to make a nice development program. We are already sending the first product samples to Italy, Germany, Benelux and the Scandinavian countries, not only to large-scale retail buyers, but also to smaller niche distributors. Red flesh apples polarize a lot, either you love them or you hate them. We try to grow with those who love them and embrace the project.
The start of the commercial campaign will take place as usual on the 31st October with the sale of the special edition apples for Halloween. Braun explains “As Red Moon® we have a competitive advantage to other red flesh apples on the market today with excellent storage and great shelf life. This allows us not to sell immediately, but to be able to store the freshly harvested product for about a month, waiting for the acidity to decrease and the aromas of berries to came out more. Moreover, our product remains perfect until late March, the maximum date we have reached so far to market it. The goal is to arrive until June as volumes become more important. The remaining months without fresh apples are covered by our Red Moon Sparkling juice."
Regarding events, Red Moon® has to adapt to the new scenario imposed by Covid-19. Many activities and events planned in the coming months have been skipped, so we begin to set up the
new program, moving to digital. “We will not participate at Fruit Attraction" continues Braun, "which would have been our third edition, but we will be at Interpoma. We decided to create our own digital event, the “KIKU News Talk”, with a 3D booth with all our brands like KIKU, Crimson Snow, ISAAQ and Swing. The event will offer our partners the opportunity to take a virtual walk through our apple orchards and visiting our different club apples.
"Our goal is not to find new partners, but to network and to take care of our existing relationships. Therefore we need to do it independently, with our own style, to be both the director and the driver."
For more information:
Red Moon®
https://www.redmoon-apple.com/en