Photo: supplied Bill Lynch
The breeder of a new export variety of apple being harvested this month says it has an 'infatuating' pink colour.
Tasman apple grower and plant breeder Bill Lynch has spent 20 years developing Roxy.
"The saying goes you buy with your eyes. It's very distinctive, it's in the market really early and it stands out from everything else that's available at the time. And then it's backed up with the old-fashioned flavours that were there going way back 50 to 60 years with the likes of the original gala apple," Bill says.
Market trials have shown there's an appetite for the apples in China, Vietnam, Taiwan and Hong Kong and Bill says importers are eagerly awaiting the arrival of this season's crop.
He says another plus for growers is Roxy is late to flower and early to harvest so it requires fewer sprays than other varieties.
It's not a shy producer and maintains its quality in cool-storage.
Bill says so far 25-thousand Roxy trees are in the ground.
