$10 apples? Australia’s Bravo (Soluna) hits US shelves, and China could be next

The Soluna apple, marketed as Bravo in Australia, has made its first appearance in US supermarkets, marking an Australian export milestone. Grown by approximately 90 producers across Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, and Victoria, the apple has previously entered markets across Asia and the Middle East.

WA Farm Direct’s general manager, speaking to ABC News Australia, described the shipment as a cautious test: “This is a market test, two containers worth, to get an understanding of where we would sit in the segment.”

Also read: Apple vs lemon vs banana: Who wins the healthiest fruit trophy? Science has the answer


He added: “It’s a premium apple, so we wanted to test it to set the platform for next year.”

Premium pricing adds context

The apples are now stocked in supermarkets on the US east coast, currently retailing at approximately AUD 10 per kilogram, a premium compared to the domestic market, said Jones to ABC News Australia. He explained that higher consumer prices are necessary to offset freight and tariff costs and to support superior returns for growers.

Export plans include China

Plans are underway to export Soluna apples to China in 2026, following successful market access negotiations, reported ABC News Australia. According to the same source, WA Farm Direct is advocating for further investment to supply anticipated demand from both the US, and China.

“Between the US and China, two of the world’s largest economies, we are in great shape to be able to capitalise,” the company’s general manager told ABC News Australia.

“We will have to make a decision on how much fruit we will have available early next year. … We are encouraging further investment in the program to meet future demand.”

Also read: 6 hydrating fruits you should eat daily in summer

Diverging opinions from growers

Not all growers support the export initiative. Vic Grozotis of Manjimup, growing Bravo apples commercially, expressed skepticism to ABC News Australia:

“We don’t even know what returns we are going to get for it, it is small volumes, it’s just another feel-good story coming out from the promoters of Bravo,” he said.
“Last year, Bravo was my lowest returning variety, they are asking us to grow more of this when realistically we don’t have any baseline price and don’t know what the return is going to be. … I think this export will fail.”

By contrast, Ann Lyster, chair of the regional apple cooperative Fruit West, expressed optimism:

“There is a very good business case that can be made for being able to supply not only the domestic market, but the international market as well,” she said.
“The coordinated marketing of Bravo, Soluna, doesn’t suit all growers, but I think there is a great percentage that are very happy with the marketing that is being worked on.”