COT International looks back on the successes of the past year and shares its plans and prospects for 2024, while sketching out the trends of tomorrow. The French breeder based in the Gard department, has come a long way and is now present in over 30 countries (30% increase and growing market share since the start of the decade). It is now becoming a leading player in the hybridization/selection landscape, with its slogan: “producer and consumer satisfaction in the breeding field.”
2023: “a historic year marked by success”
COT International has had a very successful year in 2023. The breeder marketed 4 new protected apricot varieties and 1 plum, “making it a total of more than 50 Proprietary Variety Certificates in just over 30 years of existence for the 3 species the company works with: apricots, cherries and plums.”
For COT International, 2023 also marked a “historic cooperation agreement" with the ETERNAL FRESH™ group, paving the way for significant development of COT varieties in the southern hemisphere, especially in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Chile. “Our new partner quickly understood that taste quality is the main criterion guiding our varietal selection,” explains Marie-Laure Eteve, CEO in charge of the hybridization program at COT International.
“A notable intensification of our hybridization activities in Murcia is aimed at selecting varieties with low cold requirements, offering adaptability to a variety of climates. In collaboration with IMIDA, we are taking part in a three-year study of apricot chilling requirements using a dynamic model. Publication of the final results is scheduled for the end of 2024. Our aim is to offer varieties that are always better adapted to growers' needs and capable of withstanding climate change.” In France, the hybridization program is moving towards more rustic varieties with a late flowering stage.
2024: Intensification of the cherry and plum breeding program
In 2024, COT International has decided to further intensify its cherry and plum hybridization program, “in order to be able to offer a complete range for these 2 species in a few years' time. Our aim is to offer large-caliber cherries with excellent taste all season long. Today, we are known for our early varieties such as NIMBA and FRISCO, but our ambition is to expand our range to include later varieties in the years to come, such as SUN POP cov COT 12-09, recently protected, which is the first cherry resulting from our hybridization program. It is harvested about 15 days after the NIMBA cov,” explains Pascal Bassols Pot, technical and sales manager at COT International.
“For plums, the plan is to offer complete ranges with yellow and red-fleshed fruit, with the same taste and agronomic potential as the GRENADINE cov. We are on the right track with the DORINE cov PL312, which was protected last season and is being planted in France and Spain this winter,” according to Pascal Bassols Pot. This year, COT International plans to protect another plum, 1 cherry and 4 apricot varieties.
COT International will be present at the next edition of Fruit Logistica from February 7th to 9th (Hall 6.2, Booth D41). For the occasion, it will unveil the signing of a new exclusive partnership in Asia, as well as the expansion of its online presence and visibility.
For more information:
Pascal Bassols and Marie Laure Etève
COT International
Mas de la Condamine, Chemin de l’abricot
30230 Bouillargues
Phone: +33-6-08-27-38-82
pascal@cot-international.eu
marielaure@cot-international.eu
www.cot-international.eu