A new mango variety developed and grown exclusively in Far North Queensland will be available in supermarkets across Australia this summer.
The Ruby Gold mango originated from a branch mutation of a Kensington Pride tree on the Palumbo family's farm in Dimbulah, west of Cairns. The discovery led to more than a decade of grafting, planting, and testing before reaching commercial production.
John Nardi, business manager for tropical fruits at wholesaler Favco, has been working with the growers since identifying the variety. "It's just got a really good, strong Kensington Pride-type flavour, which is what we all love," he said. "But it's typically a bit stronger than normal Kensington Pride. It's a little less fibrous as well, so not quite as stringy."
The Ruby Gold mango has been registered with plant breeders and granted Plant Breeders' Rights (PBR) status after official testing confirmed its distinction from other varieties. "Typically [it] has a really nice ruby, maroon sort of blush to it, so it looks fantastic," Nardi said.
This season, about 15,000 trays of Ruby Gold mangoes are expected to reach the market, marking the first commercial-scale release after several years of limited sales. "We're hoping that obviously these volumes will grow over the next few years, and we'll be looking at producing more trees and getting more growers on board with it in years to come," Nardi added.
Nardi has collaborated with Melbourne-based agent and Produce of Virginia director Peter Tran over the past two years to test market response for Ruby Gold. "When they mentioned that there was a new variety coming through the market that they wanted to try and trial in Melbourne, I was more than keen to put my hand up and give it a crack, and luckily I did," Tran said.
Tran has distributed small volumes to independent supermarkets and retailers and said consumer feedback has been positive. "I was blown away by the blush on the skin, it was incredible, and once I had a taste of it, I was like, this is a winner, this can't be beat," he said.
Tran noted that the fruit is being marketed as a premium variety and demand currently exceeds supply. "There hasn't been enough to supply, because the crop has been quite small," he said. "Demand has always been a bit high, and we're actually very excited to see a commercial crop coming out this season where we can supply in decent quantities for the independent market."
Ruby Gold mangoes are expected to be available on the Australian market by the end of November.
Source: ABC News
