The first commercial Dark Baron Gala apples were picked on 18th January at Barolli Orchards in Shepparton in Northern Victoria.
"The crop is great quality, we are getting packouts of 90+%. The sizing is great and we have really firm apples. Shepparton can get very hot, we have temperatures of over 40 Degrees this summer, normal Gala apples struggle with these temperatures as there is no overhead cooling or nets in place," said Dustin Barolli, owner at Barolli Orchards.
The Dark Baron Gala is from the Italian breeding program at Griba, they are a mutation of the Royal Gala which was discovered by an Italian grower.
"It has been a long process, we were there at the right time in 2016 and brought the apples to Australia. We now have 45,000 trees in the ground. We have had a lot of interest in them as they are a very grower-friendly Gala. Normally with Galas, maturity comes before the color, but with the Dark Baron Gala, it is the other way around. The heat here can cause Galas to be soft, but with this variety, we have great tasting, crunchy apples."
"This year have just 50 tons, but expect this to increase to 1000 tons. We have the perfect crop this year to showcase this variety. We also have the advantage that they are ready two weeks before other Gala apples. "
The apple will only be available on the Australian domestic market this year, but next year Barolli will look at exporting them.
For more information
Dustin Barolli
Barolli Orchards
Phone: +61 417 811 629
[email protected]
