A number of international and South African growers and marketers sampled the new apple and pear varieties which are emerging from the breeding programmes of re:inc innovation. The tasting took place during a mini conference aimed at reviewing the progress with re:inc innovations’ new cultivar programme and the group included one leading supermarket.
The visitors tasted 16 pear and 18 apple selections from the breeding programme and the response was very positive according to Riaan van Wyk, CEO of re:inc. “Every visitor was requested to complete evaluation sheets and the results show that many of the selections have clear commercial potential,” says Mr Van Wyk.
Liezel Kriegler, director of re:inc innovation says that 6 Licensees have already signed up for the breeding programmes and re:inc innovation is in negotiations with 14 more companies to take up licenses. “There are a few more licenses open for discussion and re:inc hope to finalize them all during 2016.”
The Licensees will have the exclusive or semi- exclusive rights to all the seedlings or selections in the breeding programme for their country. This will give the Licensees a major advantage now and in the long term future, according to Riaan Van Wyk.
In October 2015 re:inc innovation and East Malling Service launched their range of red and pink flesh apples in Edingen-Neckarhausen in Germany, where re:inc also breed apples and pears on an annual basis. According to Ms Kriegler, 5 of these selections scored high points and they are now in a process of multiplying the planting material for Licensees to plant these selections on a commercial scale.
“re:inc innovation focusses on bi-colour and bright red pears that are crispy, juicy and full of aroma and flavour. We believe that the pears of the future will be eaten like an apple, from the tree or refrigerator,” says Mr Van Wyk.
The apple sector is becoming more competitive with a number of bi – colour apples entering the market over the last few years. “re:inc innovation is focussed on brighter red and pink apples with a lot more flavour, snappiness and high juice contents.”
Ms Kriegler says that there are still many gaps in the market and pink, red, yellow and orange flesh apples will surely make a difference to the global industry.
(In the photo are Kaari Stannard, Owner and President of NewYork Apple Sales in the USA and Tim Byrne from Fruit Forward, North America,who is also the former founding President of The Next Big Thing, the exclusive Licensee of the SweeTango applein North America.)
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