Kissabel says it is expanding its range of apples with flesh that varies from pink to intense red into the Southern Hemisphere. Development continues in Australia, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and South Africa thanks to IFORED program partners in these countries, according to the company.
“Kissabel is fortunate to be able to count on high-calibre international partners,” Emmanuel de Lapparent, head of the IFORED program, said in a news release. “Producers in the Southern Hemisphere are focused on testing the different varieties in their respective climates and markets. In terms of increasing the availability of our range on the global market, we are definitely heading in the right direction.”
Australia is at the most advanced stage of development, according to the company. The growers of Montague Farms in Australia have begun the harvest, which will involve yellow skin and pink flesh varieties, and varieties with both red skin and flesh.
Though marketing is still at the early stages in terms of volumes, Montague Farms is investing in the growth of the brand, according to the release. Kissabel made an appearance on “Sunrise,” one of Australia’s most popular morning television shows. It was also a hit at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, according to the company, which added that the apple was sampled to over 50,000 people and that TV presenter and author Alice Zaslavsky hosted a sold-out Kissabel cooking demonstration at the show.
Kissabel said it plans for future sampling events involving influencers and food outlets.
“The goal is to construct a strong brand, so we are ready to increase volumes in the next few years,” said Michelle Hau, marketing manager of Montague Farms. “We are particularly interested in young foodies, the perfect target audience for an innovation product like Kissabel.”
Kissabel is also making progress in South America thanks to the work of partners Moño Azul in Argentina and Unifrutti in Chile, the company said.
“The main objective this season is to confirm which varieties adapt best to our land so we can open new commercial plantations,” said Marcelo Galardini, sales director of Moño Azul. “In the meantime, we will begin promoting Kissabel apples on the local market to raise their profile among our customers.”
Argentinean production is mainly focused on the varieties with red flesh and skin. This is also the main variety in Chile, where different cultivars are currently being tested, according to the release.
“This season we will send product samples to one of our customers in Brazil with the aim of expanding commercial production,” said Cristian Matte, commercial manager of Unifrutti Chile.
Dutoit Group of South Africa began planting its first semi-commercial orchards in 2023, focusing on red skin and red flesh varieties and achieved this year its first harvest of Kissabel apples.
“We are very excited about the quality of the harvest: the apples developed an intense and vibrant red color, especially in warmer regions. A pleasant surprise was the change in texture when apples reached maturity, also allowing the flavor to fully develop. This result was met with great enthusiasm by both our marketing team and local retailers,” said Willie Cotze, technical manager at Dutoit.
“We will be introducing Kissabel apples to a group of local media, influencers and retail customers to test the visual and tasting experience of this unique product,” he added.
The testing phase is also currently underway in New Zealand with the partner Yummy Fruit, according to the release.
