The early-season red seedless grape is “proving its value to growers” and is now cultivated in ten countries, with production expanding
Sun World International has said it is kicking off the 2025 grape season with the debut of its newest proprietary variety, Sugrafiftythree, marketed under the Ruby Rush brand.
The early-season red seedless grape, named for its ”radiant colour, crisp texture and bold sweetness”, has quickly proved its value to growers worldwide, the group said, driving strong early adoption and ”accelerating new growth opportunities across the premium table grapes sector”.
”With multiple successful field trials, widespread licensee excitement, and plantings underway, Sugrafiftythree has rapidly established itself as the early-season red grape variety of choice,” the breeder and licensor stated.
Sun World explained that Sugrafiftythree’s standout attributes – early availability, natural colouring, high yield potential and exceptional consumer appeal – filled a critical gap left by traditional varieties that often struggled with colouration and consistency.
“Sugrafiftythree, as Ruby Rush, isn’t just another early-season option – it’s a new benchmark,” enthused Pablo Ramirez, vice president of licensing at Sun World.
”This season, Sugrafiftythree is helping us meet the market earlier and sets a new standard for early-season fruit.
“Growers and retailers alike are seeing firsthand how Ruby Rush delivers on the colour, flavour and crunch that consumers crave, while offering earlier harvest windows, stronger margins and new category excitement,” Ramirez explained.
”Key geographies like Chile, Peru, Brazil, Australia, South Africa, Egypt, Italy, Spain, USA, Mexico, Israel and Portugal are already driving momentum for the season ahead.”
Sugrafiftythree had become the fastest variety to advance through commercialisation in Sun World’s history, the company pointed out.
Building on this success, Sun World hosted two exclusive field days in Chile earlier this year, with nine additional events planned across Egypt, Mexico, Italy, Brazil, Peru, South Africa and Australia – offering growers a firsthand look at the variety’s potential.
”With global cultivation rapidly expanding and production volumes rising, Surafiftythree represents a significant growth opportunity for growers and marketers seeking to differentiate their portfolios and meet early-season demand with premium fruit,” Sun World commented.
”Now cultivated in more than ten countries, Sugrafiftythree is continuing to expand as growers recognise its early-season advantages and market potential.
”With increased production on the horizon, Sun World remains focused on supporting licensees and ensuring wider market availability in the Ruby Rush brand to engage and grow consumer interest in the coming seasons,” the group added.
