Prevar Limited and the AIGN (Associated International Group of Nurseries) confirmed their ongoing partnership by signing a new agreement that will cover the foreseeable future. Jim McLean, Chairman of the Board for Prevar and Lynnell Brandt, President and Chairman of the Board for AIGN® held a signing ceremony in Havelock North, New Zealand on February 25th to celebrate the extension of the service agreement between the two companies.
This new agreement has a term of 10 years with possibilities for 5-year extensions. It provides AIGN® and its members many more opportunities to assist in the commercialization of Prevar releases and a more interactive relationship to achieve the joint goal of successful commercialization of new varieties globally that will impact all fruit producing industries.
Prevar was established to globally commercialize the new apple and pear cultivars bred in New Zealand by crown research organization Plant & Food Research. Prevar is a joint venture company with three shareholders: Apples and Pears NZ, Plant & Food Research and Apple & Pear Australia. The aim of Prevar is to assist Australian and New Zealand growers achieve sustainable profits from the new varieties. Jim McLean spoke of the partnership that has developed between the two companies. “Prevar and AIGN® have worked together to protect and commercialize a number of new Prevar varieties including Rockit®, Dazzle™, Smitten®, Cherish® and Lemonade® apples as well as Piqa® Boo® and Reddy Robin® pears”.
Lynnell Brandt said that “the AIGN® group is proud of the work achieved by its members in conjunction with Prevar to introduce, and protect the range of Prevar apple and pear varieties in the last fifteen years and are excited by the new material coming through the Plant and Food Breeding Program”.
The Associated International Group of Nurseries or AIGN® is a worldwide organization linking nurserymen in the major fruit growing areas of the world including Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America and North America. The AIGN® specializes in global management of intellectual property, including the introduction, protection, testing and evaluation of new products in each AIGN® region, and developing coordinated marketing plans for tree sales and commercial fruit product launches. The goal is to maximize the return to the owner and stakeholders.
For more information: 
Lynnell Brandt
AIGN®
Email: lynnell@aign.org
www.aign.org
Snow Hardy 
Prevar Limited
Email: snow@prevar.co.nz
www.prevar.co.nz