The regional government of Murcia has signed an agreement with Murcia’s Institute of Research and Agricultural Development (IMIDA) and the Table Grape Innovation and Technology company (ITUM) to strengthen programmes to develop new seedless table grape varieties to enable the region to extend its production and marketing window.
The deal is one of four genetic improvement programmes currently in place to boost Murcia’s table grape offer for international markets by developing high quality, fungus-resistant seedless varieties covering the early and late season production window.
“This project will allow Murcian growers to plant varieties which they own themselves, thereby avoiding having to pay royalties to import new varieties from overseas,” the government said.
Murcia accounts for around 90 per cent of Spain’s seedless table grape output.
