Honey Gold mangoes from the Northern Territory have started appearing on supermarket shelves with the annual harvest at Piñata Farms underway. 
Piñata Farms General Manager Tropicals Stephen Scurr says while volume will be down on previous years due to stop-start cool snaps at the key growing regions of Darwin, Katherine and Mataranka during winter, quality would be excellent.
“A reasonable wet season last summer and dry conditions leading into the harvest have been advantageous for fruit quality. Consumers can expect flavoursome, sweet fruit with that amazing Honey Gold flavour that Australians love, all through summer,” he says.
“We had a cool May in the Territory, but it was over too quickly. June and July were warmer than normal, and then we had a brief cool snap in August and September. This resulted in a select harvest of light volumes in early November, with the main harvest from mid-November running about two weeks late.
“Our Katherine farm will produce the bulk of our Territory crop this season, then our third-party growers will start their harvests progressively.”
Piñata Farms has a network of some 30 third-party growers producing Honey Gold mangoes in the NT, Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Western Australia, with Queensland growers producing most of the crop.
Averaging 500-600g, Honey Gold is promoted as one of the largest mangoes available and has a yellow-orange, glossy skin and “intense, punchy, distinctive” flavour. They also have a small seed and smooth, fibreless, orange flesh.
Piñata Farms Sales and Marketing Manager Rebecca Scurr says consumer feedback indicates that once tried, Honey Golds were a repeat purchase.
“Honey Golds are one of Australia’s favourite mangoes,” she says. “Since we first launched the variety in 2009, many consumers have stayed on the Honey Gold journey and eagerly anticipate mango season every summer.”
Honey Gold mangoes will be available at all leading supermarkets nationally until March.