The kissable season begins in the southern hemisphere.

The Kissabel® apple harvest in Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa ended in recent weeks with very positive results. Thanks to relatively normal summer conditions, the quality has been excellent, with good-sized calibers. These red-fleshed apples are ready to delight consumers in the southern hemisphere with a delicious crunchy texture and extraordinary flavor.

One of the most enthusiastic reports comes from Australia, the country in the southern hemisphere where the program is most advanced. "The Kissabel® apple harvest has been very positive, as we have enjoyed a cooler summer than usual with above-average rainfall in most growing areas. The result has been quality fruit and good There have been several issues dealing with moisture, but the result has been positive," says Angela Bracken, Marketing Manager at Montague.

Montague has launched various marketing activities to promote the consumption of its range of pink and red flesh apples. These include in-store signage (also used on gift boxes distributed to customers and the media), consumer education sessions, in-store tastings, media PR activities, and social media posts.

The Kissable project is also continuing in neighboring New Zealand and is already looking to the future. "We are now in our third year of testing," explains Paul Paynter, General Manager of Yummyfruit, "and we can say that these low-acid apples are exactly what we need. It is a quality that is especially sought after by Asian consumers, who are increasingly more are in our commercial objective".

Continuing west, another key growth area in South Africa, where advanced testing leads growers towards the "red" varietal group, which is best suited to this area's soil and climate characteristics. "We will focus on the red-skinned varieties, launching the campaign in 2025 and concentrating on local distribution in high-end supermarkets as the main objective," confirms Tanith Freeman, Product Development Manager at Dutoit.

Finally, the tests underway in Chile by Unifrutti and in Argentina by Moño Azul are also excellent results. "The color of the meat and the crunchy texture of Kissable have been very good," reports Riccardo Gatti, Production Director at Unifrutti. "The impressions of those who have had the opportunity to test them have been exceptional so that the limited stock available quickly sold out. This year we will focus on testing in Central America, and we are very optimistic about the next steps. Marketing," he adds.

The kissable season begins in the southern hemisphere. PDF