International marketer Zespri has announced the commercial release of three new kiwifruit varieties as well as the start of orchard trials for two red cultivars, steps which it says will ensure further growth for the New Zealand kiwifruit industry in years to come.
The three new varieties scheduled for planting or grafting in the next few months are: Gold3, an early-season gold; Gold9, a potentially long-storing gold; and Green14, a new sweet green. A second early gold cultivar (Gold1) was not approved for commercial release.
The two new red varieties, meanwhile, which growers are now free to trial in their orchards, have now been placed on a pre-commercial shortlist for possible commercial development in future.
Welcoming the decision, which was officially confirmed today, Zespri chief executive Lain Jager said the new varieties had the potential to boost sales significantly in markets worldwide, expanding the industry's product range and contributing to an anticipated tripling of export sales by 2025.
'This underlines our commitment to future growth in the New Zealand kiwifruit industry,' he told Fruitnet.com. 'This is a high-growth industry and we feel there's plenty of growth to come, backed by strong marketing and innovation.'
Mr Jager is due to discuss the prospects for the new varieties with New Zealand Prime Minister John Key and the country's Minister of Health Tony Ryall during a meeting at the company's headquarters in Mount Maunganui on Thursday, 17 June.
From the start of next week, growers will be given detailed information about the three new commercial varieties and, this season, a total of 600ha will be licensed to be either planted or grafted, representing about 5 per cent of all New Zealand land currently planted with kiwifruit.
The first commercial volumes are expected to be available on international markets in time for the start of the 2012 New Zealand export marketing campaign.
The decision to proceed marks the latest stage in a 10-year natural plant breeding programme carried out by Zespri in association with the New Zealand Government through horticultural science group Plant & Food Research.
That process has included four years of trialling the varieties' attributes in relation to production, storage, shipping and consumer reaction, with extensive testing carried out in New Zealand, Europe and Japan.
According to Mr Jager, the release of the three new varieties is a vitally important step in the ongoing development of Zespri and the New Zealand kiwifruit industry, and will form a major part of its medium- and long-term strategy to progressively and sustainably grow the New Zealand kiwifruit offering while taking care not to cannibalise existing sales and prices.
'This has been the most thorough and rigorous product development process ever undertaken by the New Zealand horticulture sector, and, as a joint industry/government initiative, it is New Zealand Inc at its best,' he said.
Out of more than 50,000 potential new varieties assessed by the programme, which is led by Plant & Food Research's Dr Luis Gea, more than 10,000 cultivars made the initial shortlist and only 40 went to initial growing trials.
From that group, just four made it to on-orchard trials, where they underwent extensive testing.
Click here to read our exclusive interview with Zespri chief executive Lain Jager (subscription required)
Not a subscriber? Please click here for details of how to subscribe.
