Agrofresh says the purchase marks the expansion of its produce quality and freshness solutions into table grapes and berries
Postharvest agtech specialist Agrofresh has announced the completion of its acquisition of South African group Tessara.
Tessara is a provider of intelligent packaging solutions for preserving fresh produce, specialising in SO2 generating sheets to prevent decay in table grapes, berries, and flowers.
Agrofresh described the acquisition as an “exciting next chapter” as it ”furthers its mission to prevent food loss/waste across the produce supply-chain by providing a range of science-based freshness solutions, digital technologies, and services for a broad range of crops”.
The deal was said to have advanced Agrofresh’s capabilities in postharvest produce freshness and food waste reduction, with added solutions for key crop segments such as table grapes and berries, while ”significantly enhancing” its presence across fruit growing regions including South Africa, China, Australia and South America.
The transaction was completed following clearance by the South African competition authorities.
“Agrofresh and Tessara both aspire to bring continued value to our customers globally,” noted Clint Lewis, CEO at AgroFresh. “We have a shared vision to be the global leaders in the provision of postharvest solutions for the fresh fruit and produce industry.
”And what does global leadership really mean? It means that many more varieties of crops get the benefits of a solution that helps enhance freshness and quality and really supports growers and producers.”
“Over the course of the past few decades, Tessara has grown into a global leader in the provision of SO2 solutions used for prevention of decay for a number of high-value crops,” said Jaco Smit, CEO at Tessara.
“Being part of Agrofresh gives us access to resources to support ongoing research and development, production facilities around the world, and, most importantly, a global presence.
”Combining our portfolio with Agrofresh’s portfolio will make us a significant force in post-harvest technologies around the world,” he added.
