Agri Kultuur June / Junie 2018 | Page 56

galaxy might be for astronomers. The reason that Buks was in the right place at the right time to notice the mutation on the Corder Gala is because he has dedicated his life to being in orchards every day, especially at apple ripening time.” Anthony Rawbone-Viljoen says that the process to arrive at a brand name was a long one. “It was right to name Bigbucks after Buks and with the promise that it would make big bucks for those who planted it. We didn’t want to register a name that might suggest to the consumer that this fruit was expensive, so we embarked on brainstorming names and then the process of searching that another hadn’t already registered the name or, that when sold in one of the over one hundred countries in which South African apples and pears are sold , that we would not be offending cultural sensitivities. The idea behind FLASH GALA ™  is that it will be sold in a flash and that the bright red colour of the fruit is like a flash of light. Although it is often said that dynamite comes in small packages, in this case it is most definitely true. Issued with a warning: please mind the FLASH”, he says. Grower Derek Corder is among the first who have planted Bigbucks trees. He explains: “The unique pink or red mid-rib on the leaf is used to identify the variety after the fruit has been harvested. While, on the tree, the pink vein (from where the company name comes) down the centre of the leaf is characteristic. The FLASH GALA ™ is 80-100% wine-red blush with no striation. Currently 138 bins have been packed at Two-a-Day in Grabouw at a confirmed packout of  89.45% and the total Class 1 packout is 94.27% which is outstanding. While, at Ceres Fruit Growers, 26 bins were delivered at a 93% packout, especially notable as the region suffered from hail which damaged fruit.” Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing, the largest exporter of South African apples and pears, has the rights to sell FLASH GALA ™  along with others. See www.bigbucksapples.com or Tru-Cape. com for ordering information. Nomfusi Gwanya of Two-a-Day with Danie Heyns from SAPO (South African Plant improvement Organisation), Buks Nel of Tru-Cape and Nezisa Stemele of Two-a-Day during the packing of FLASH GALA ™ . AgriKultuur |AgriCulture 56