Chairman sees huge potential for Rockit apples
The company was named ExportNZ Hawke's Bay's ASB Exporter of the Year last week, also winning the Napier Port Industry Trailblazer Award.
He said New Zealand was responsible for what was probably the greatest modern innovation in fruit, the gold Kiwifruit.
"Our ambition is to put Rockit apples right up there with them."
He paid tribute to the vision and drive of founder Phil Alison to establish the product and the contribution of angel investors and the Rockit team in Havelock North. The investors contributed "enormously" with strategy, marketing, growing and the intellectual property aspects of the business.
Rockit apples are slightly bigger than a golf ball, sweet flavoured with a strong red colour and marketed in plastic tubes. The variety is a product of Plant & Food's Havelock North-based cross-breeding programme, started by the late Dr Don Mackenzie and developed further by Allan White.
source: nzherald.co.nz
