South African growers are considering stopping apples and moving on to Carmingo apricots

Published 2022년 2월 8일

Tridge summary

Carmingo apricots, developed in France and managed in South Africa by Michael Oosthuizen, are making a significant impact in the South African stone fruit industry. Despite challenges like hail damage, the harvest has been successful, with high domestic prices and most production aimed for export to the UK. The early variety, Carmingo Mediabel, is under evaluation. Additionally, the first harvest of the all-red apricot series, Rubyngo, is expected this year. Oosthuizen is also working with red-fleshed plum varieties, which are valued for their antioxidant content, and is introducing almonds to South Africa through Unlimited Nuts, believing the country could become self-sufficient within two years.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The range of Carmingo apricots developed in France by International Plant Selection (IPS) is managed in South Africa by stone fruit specialist Michael Oosthuizen. He also works with Zaiger Genetics and Ibergen, and is a consultant to the Custom Plum Company program. Four of the Carmingo varieties are grown commercially in South Africa: Faralia (right), Farely, Farbaly and Farlis. The Farlis harvest, the last of these varieties, started last week after the Faralia harvest ended the week before. "Despite some hail damage, this year's harvest was good," Michael said. Domestic prices for apricots are very good. Consumers don't expect to find apricots on the shelf at this time of the year, but Carmingo apricots are currently grown almost exclusively for export to the UK. "There is a lot of interest in these apricots. Growers in Koo Valley have told me that they plan to completely stop growing apples because they can't match the performance of Carmingo apricot varieties," Michael ...

Source: AGF