Australian-New Zealand jv Prevar has announced new pear variety Velvetine. Non-exclusive NZ marketing rights for the fruit, which was developed under the name PremP33, have been granted to Enza Ltd. The pear was bred by Plant & Food Research, formerly known as HortResearch.
Prevar ceo, Brett Ennis said: “Prevar has selected the trademark name Velvetine for this pear which alludes strongly towards the pear’s amazing texture… all the market evaluation evidence we have confirms the pear texture, flavour and ripe-pear shelf life are outstanding and highly valued attributes. Enza has an excellent reputation in bringing new varieties to market, so we are looking forward to their success with this new variety.”
As a ripe pear, Velvetine outperforms other pears on the market with shelf life exceeding 14 days. It has a nautral russet over a green background and a classic European, as opposed to Asian, pear shape.
