VentureFruit, a T&G Global company that provides variety management services, has launched Adore apples, a new apple program that includes a family of climate-resilient varieties.
According to a news release, Adore is the latest commercial development from the Hot Climate Partnership, an international initiative breeding apples and pears for resilience in hot and warming climates. The program will initially launch with HOT03A1, alongside a second variety that harvests four to six weeks earlier. Further varieties are in development.
Under the global Adore brand, licensees can select the variety or combination of varieties best suited to their region and market. Territory partners retain autonomy to grow, pack, market, distribute and sell fruit within their licensed region, while benefiting from consistent brand investment, program expertise and the scale of a global network, according to the release.
“The global premium apple category is growing rapidly, creating a real opportunity for growers and investors, however at the same time global temperatures continue to rise,” VentureFruit General Manager Morgan Rogers said in the release. “Growers need varieties that can deliver strong orchard and commercial performance as climates, growing conditions and markets change.”
Adore apples draw on more than two decades of breeding and scientific development through the Hot Climate Partnership, which brings together The Catalan Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology, New Zealand’s Bioeconomy Science Institute, Spain’s FruitFutur and VentureFruit. The partners contribute breeding, agronomic evaluation, consumer research and commercialization expertise, according to the release.
The initial Adore varieties have undergone extensive agronomic evaluation and consumer sensory research in Spain, Germany, France, Italy and Hong Kong. Results showed strong overall liking against industry benchmarks and a consistent brand experience across appearance, flavor and texture, according to the release.
The Adore apple program will develop progressively, beginning in regions where the varieties offer the best commercial and horticultural fit. Global plantings will be managed to align supply with demand, protect the varieties and brand and support licensees with agronomic expertise, according to the release.
Licenses are open. For more information, send an email to Kate James at: kate@venturefruit.com. •
