Prevar, the international joint venture established to commercialise new apple and pear cultivars emanating from New Zealand science company Plant & Food Research's topfruit breeding programme, has licensed non-exclusive New Zealand marketing rights for a new pear cultivar to exporter Enza.
Brian D’Ath, Enza's global variety development manager, believes that the juicy pear, which has been given the development name PremP33 and which will be marketed under the trademark Velvetine, will have very wide consumer appeal due to its 'lovely silky and velvet-like smooth texture, juiciness and delicious flavour profile'.
He commented: 'It is the outstanding eating experience it offers, together with the comparatively longer shelf-life of the ripe pear (exceeding 14 days), that will persuade consumers to keep coming back for more.
'We are excited about the niche market opportunities that are available and the positive consumer feedback we've received to date.'
He added: 'Prevar has selected the trademark name Velvetine for this pear which alludes strongly towards the pear's amazing texture. It has a natural russet over a green background and a classic European pear shape, which for some consumers may appear a little unattractive, but all the market evaluation evidence we have confirms that the pear texture, flavour and ripe pear shelf-life are outstanding and highly-valued attributes.'
Prevar CEO Brett Ennis said: 'Enza has an excellent reputation in bringing new varieties to market, so we are looking forward to their success with this new variety.'
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