Riwaka’s Thomas Brothers Orchards is at the forefront of a landmark moment for Tasman’s fruit industry, having successfully completed the first-ever export harvest of RubyRed kiwifruit.
The striking new variety, known for its vibrant ruby-coloured flesh and a flavour that sits somewhere between a berry and a gold kiwifruit, is turning heads in the global market, and the Thomas Brothers are proud to be among the pioneers bringing it to the world.
“We’ve harvested and sold red kiwifruit before, but not the RubyRed variety,” says Steve Thomas. “It’s distinguished by its intense red colour and a flavour that’s really unique, something we think consumers in Asia and beyond are going to love.”
The Thomas Brothers planted their RubyRed vines several years ago, carefully nurturing them through the early stages of growth. This season marked the first harvest from those vines to meet export standard, a milestone the family has been working toward with quiet determination.
It hasn’t come without its challenges. RubyRed ripens differently from green or gold kiwifruit, demands different pollinators, and is particularly sensitive to wind. The Thomas Brothers have invested in protective structures across their Riwaka orchard to shield the delicate vines, and have been working hard to improve fruit size, which runs smaller than more established varieties.
“It’s exciting to grow something new,” Steve says, “but you have to be prepared to adapt. Every season we’re learning more about what this fruit needs.”
The shorter shelf life of RubyRed also shapes where it can be sent. Unlike hardier varieties, it wouldn’t survive the journey to European markets in good condition, so the focus has been on closer Asia-Pacific destinations, including Japan, China, and for the first time, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Pacific Islands.
While RubyRed retains a low glycemic index, it carries higher natural sugar levels than green or gold kiwifruit and has a more delicate skin that requires careful handling through harvest and storage.
The Thomas Brothers aren’t alone in their enthusiasm for the variety. Fellow Tasman grower Ian George of Griffin George Orcharding in Motueka has planted 2.5 hectares of RubyRed after stepping away from gold kiwifruit entirely. His orchard is part of a four-year RubyRed research project in its first year, gathering data to better understand how to consistently produce high-quality fruit with strong yields.
Across the region, RubyRed growers are working collectively to grow their footprint in export markets, diversify their offerings to manage the risks of increasingly variable weather, and scale up local production to a target of 125,000 trays within the next two years, with vines already in the ground and maturing.
For the Thomas Brothers, this first export harvest is more than a commercial achievement. It’s the beginning of what they hope will be a long and fruitful chapter for Riwaka, and for Tasman’s kiwifruit industry as a whole.
