T&G Fresh this week welcomes the newest addition to its citrus range – the Afourer mandarin.
After a fantastic Satsuma mandarin season that wrapped up in July, the new Afourer mandarin opens up a new seasonal window with harvest occurring towards the end of the year, traditionally from September to December.
Rob Fisher, General Manager of Diversified Crops, says it’s exciting to introduce a different mandarin variety to supplement the Satsuma season.
“It’s great to add the tasty Afourer mandarin into our wider citrus family. By introducing a new variety, we can offer mandarins to our customers for most of the year, and we’ve now got a different tasting mandarin available in the warmer months leading up to summer,” says Rob.
“The Afourer is an exceptional mandarin, with a richer orange colour, and slightly sweeter taste than the Satsuma. It’s also seedless, and is super convenient as a nutritious snack and boasts a number of amazing health benefits.”
T&G Fresh invested in Afourer mandarin production in 2018, by converting 20 hectares of Afourer mandarin trees in Kerikeri, which is the only commercial Afourer crop in Northland.
New Zealand consumers will be familiar with the variety, as it is grown in small volumes in Gisborne and largely imported from Australia.
It’s expected there will be 150 tonnes of Afourer mandarins distributed this year, this will increase to 500 tonnes by 2025.
