Special New Fruit Licensing Ltd (SNFL) has signed an exclusive grape initiative with Magrabi Agriculture of Egypt.
Managing directors Abdel Hamid Demerdash of Magrabi (left), and Duncan Macintyre of SNFL inked the deal in Cairo last Friday. The arrangement, the Cambridge-based SNFL which specialises in breeding and licensing proprietary new varieties of citrus and table grapes agreed exclusive master licensing with Magrabi for new Sheehan Genetics seedless table grape varieties.
SNFL’s portfolio of new varieties has been bred and developed over the past 15 years in California, where SNFL owns Sheehan Genetics.
Macintyre said the table grape category desperately needs new varieties to delight and excite customers, and to continue to grow grape sales. “Growers, too, need better varieties - they need varieties that are easier to grow and pack, with less labour and fewer chemical inputs,” he said. “All our new varieties will also be better for our growers”
SNFL and Magrabi have already worked together for several years testing and developing the new grapes and Magrabi has now established commercial plantings of several of the new Sheehan varieties including early-mid season seedless white Timpson and mid-season red seedless Magenta.
Other varieties such as early-mid season red Krissy, black Melody, red mid-late season Timco and early white seedless Melanie are all being trialed at Magrabi’s test blocks and will be planted commercially from 2012 - Magrabi and its sub-licensed growers expect to plant over 200 hectares of Sheehan varieties over the next three years. MacIntyre expects to have a very small crop of the new types next season with commercial volumes available from 2013. These will be available in the UK exclusively from MM (UK) Ltd.
