The world will soon see red

TURNERS & Growers has announced the commercial international release for the growing of its red-fleshed kiwifruit - just days before Zespri is expected to decide which of four new varieties it has been developing will become available for cultivation in New Zealand.
 T&G said yesterday it was rolling out global plans for its EnzaRed kiwifruit, which would be the world's first commercialised red kiwifruit variety. However, even though the variety is grown on the company's orchards in Northland, it will be some time before sufficient volumes of the fruit are produced for it to be seen on the New Zealand market.
The company says it is working to establish New Zealand as the Southern Hemisphere's growing hub for EnzaRed, with a major propagation project under way at its research facility in Kerikeri to produce plants and grafting material for several thousand plants to be grown on orchards next year.
T&G claims the potential size of the market for EnzaRed grown and exported from New Zealand is similar to Zespri's gold kiwifruit, which earns more than $250 million annually.
However, it can't be exported from this country unless T&G enters into a collaborative marketing agreement with Zespri International, which is the only company authorised, under legislation to export New Zealand grown kiwifruit anywhere in the world other than Australia.
That legislation is the subject of a High Court case beginning next month, taken by T&G in an attempt to overturn Zespri's exclusive export status.
Meanwhile, Zespri reports strong interest from growers keen to graft new varieties developed by Zespri and Plant&Food, with the Zespri board to make an announcement tomorrow on whether to commercialise the varieties.
Zespri's new fruit aren't red. They are one early and two long-life gold varieties and an earlier, sweeter green kiwifruit. Although Zespri isn't saying which if any of the four will be released to growers, it's widely expected at least one will become available.
The fruit have been developed, not to compete with existing green and gold fruit, but to extend market access at both the beginning and ends of the season and to improve grower returns.
 Although scientists are working on developing other commercial cultivars, including a red kiwifruit, Zespri says none are yet ready for release.
Meanwhile, T&G, which owns the global intellectual property rights to its new variety, is setting up orchards for EnzaRed in Italy, France and China.
China is now in its third season of commercial production of EnzaRed and the company says domestic demand for the fruit is so strong that export volumes have been limited.
In Italy, T&G is growing several thousand plants and, by 2012, the company will have about 100ha of EnzaRed growing there and in France, it says.