Amid a bitter dispute, a worldwide consortium is being put together to buy the assets of a company which has the rights to some of the most sought-after new table grape varieties in the world.
That’s according to Colors Fruit (UK), one of the owners of Vitis International, the UK-based JV between Colors and Special New Fruit Licensing (SNFL), which is part of the AMC Group.
Colors director Riaan van Wyk, who is in the process of putting together a consortium of buyers to purchase the asset, told FPJ that the opportunity to acquire Vitis is a “once in a generation” occurrence.
Some estimates have valued Vitis at around £1 million – which would make it the biggest-ever asset available for sale in the new variety table grape industry.
Earlier this year, SNFL applied in London’s High Court for the liquidation of Vitis. This action was taken against the wishes of the other 50 per cent partner, Colors.
In granting the liquidation order, the court appointed Andy Pear and Michael Solomons of London-based firm BM Advisory LLP as jointliquidators.The liquidators are now in the process of taking control of Vitis’ assets, and are preparing themselves to sell them. Van Wyk believes Vitis possesses the most valuable table grape intellectual property assets to have come onto the market in the last 15 years: “An opportunity like this only happens once in a generation, because there are only a handful of great table grape breeding programmes in the world,” he says.
The consortium is set to consist of a few strategic marketers and producers of all the major producing countries of table grapes in the world.
Van Wyk adds: “Although a number of companies are already committed, there is still a place for table grape producers in a few countries to become part of the consortium. This is an opportunity to have your own table grape breeding programme at a fraction of the cost, and have exclusivity in your country.”
Whoever joins the consortium will have access to an ongoing table grape breeding programme in South Africa and the northern hemisphere, complete with Gerrit Nieuwoudt as head of breeding. Van Wyk says he believes that Vitis has the potential to become one of the top-five leading table grape breeding programmes in the world within a few years.
Vitis was established in 2006 to purchase the private breeding programme of Israel-based Shachar Karniel – the world-renowned breeder of the ARRA varieties on behalf of Guimarra Vineyards of California in the USA.
Vitis table grape varieties include K2, which is a unique bi-colour grape variety with a strong mango flavour that has been planted commercially in Spain.
The breeding programme of Vitis started in 2008.
A spokesperson for SNFL says that the company “potentially” has meetings lined up with the liquidator going forward, but adds that from SNFL’s point of view, little has happened since the liquidation order was granted earlier this year.
Since the publication of this article, SNFL has issued a statement giving its own take on events.
