TJIPENANDJAMBI KUHANGADESERT Fruit Namibia (DFN) is harvesting khalas dates, a new product line for the company, and a favourite for date importers in the Middle East.
DFN in //Kharas region is one of the few date producers in the southern hemisphere, and aims to produce and sell high-value crops on the international market.
In a media statement issued last week, the company said the first exports of dates will be delivered to the Far East and the Middle East this month, with the season expected to last between six and eight weeks.
The khalas date is an average-sized and reddish dark-brown fruit. They are moist and sticky, have a hearty flavour, and a butter-caramel taste. On the farm, most people like eating it fresh and half ruthab (ripe and soft).
DFN managing director Seth Holmes was quoted as saying: “We have been able to develop this date as a fresh and ruthab variant, as the intense heat, dry conditions and granite soils of southern Namibia have allowed the fruit to develop high sugars and a caramel flavour”.
Holmes added that this has proven to be a winning recipe, as more orders are received from fresh date markets which are an alternative to the traditional fresh variety Barhi set to come off the trees in the next three weeks.
The farm’s technical manager, Charles Edmonds, believes that the dates will have a significant impact on the market.
“The technical team has been concentrating on size, quality and taste over the last couple of years,” he said.
The team has also been working with some of the best date growers in the world, and collaboration has been excellent.
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