The first test volumes of the red apricot that were put on the market locally sold much faster than the other apricot cultivars.
“Many producers have shown interest in the new low-chill Rubyngo variety, Rubikoo (M20.390), due to the significant shortage in apricots in the local and international markets,” Oosthuizen said.
Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, he explained that South Africa was known globally for quality apricots and exported the fruit to, among others, the Middle East, EU and UK. The UK was, value-wise, by far the biggest market for local exporters.
“With arrival of the red cultivar , South Africa is now in a position to increase production markedly. Over the past number of years, stonefruit farmers in the Western Cape have found the Carmingo and Rubyngo cultivar ranges valuable, but an early full red apricot has remained elusive until the arrival of the Rubikoo,” Oosthuizen added.
Oosthuizen said fewer winter chilling hours than normal were reported during the past winter in the Western Cape, particularly in May and June, but the Rubikoo still produced an excellent crop in Northern Paarl, a low-chill area.
“This site only received 320 Richardson chilling hours this past winter. The decline in chilling hours opens up the opportunity for all the apricot areas in South Africa to plant full red Rubyngo apricots,” Oosthuizen said.
“All over the world, people buy with the eye, and red apricots have great appeal. We don’t foresee red apricots replacing yellow apricots, but indications are that red apricots could in future constitute up to 70% of the apricot market as these full red varieties become more available,” he said.
