New apple promises crunchy texture and gorgeous mild sweet flavour
Mon 16 Feb 2009
Prevar™ licenses new apple variety to the t193 ltd company
A brand new red bicolour apple will be available on New Zealand
supermarket shelves and available for export within the next two to
three years.
The apple is a Royal Gala by Braeburn cross and was successfully bred
by fruit-science company HortResearch [now the New Zealand Institute
for Plant and Food Research] who are world-renowned for having
successfully bred the hugely successful Jazz™ and Pacific Series™
apples.
Prevar™ Limited today announced it has exclusively licensed the New
Zealand local market and export rights for this new variety, to a new
company called T193 Limited. This company comprises four highly
respected NZ companies who operate in the New Zealand local fruit
market and have significant export interests and capability.
Shareholder members of the T193 Company Ltd include: Fresh New Zealand
Ltd, Heartland Group Ltd, Johnny Appleseed Holdings Ltd and the PickMee
Fruit Company Ltd.
Company Chairman, Rex Graham believes this apple has significant
commercial potential. “Given it has a mild sweet flavour profile, is
refreshing and juicy and has an excellent crunchy texture we believe it
will have very wide consumer appeal. This will be an outstanding apple
in the Asian markets”.
The apple, which is protected through a Plant Variety Right (a kind of
plant patent) under the development name PremA193, does not yet have a
trademarked brand name; this will be disclosed at a later time closer
to fruit availability.
Prevar™ Chief Executive, Dr Brett Ennis, says Prevar™ has been working towards
commercialisation of the apple for the past two years. “This apple is currently under trial
throughout the world. Prevar™ has received very positive feedback from testing site
evaluators, consumers and fruit marketers who have previewed the apple. I congratulate the
T193 Ltd shareholders in gaining a licence to grow and market this fruit. When Prevar™
showcased this variety within the NZ Pipfruit industry back in 2006; this group put forward a
commercialisation proposal to Prevar™ which was subsequently agreed”.