VentureFruit has launched Adore™, a global premium apple programme that brings several climate-resilient varieties together under one brand. The first trees are already licensed for planting in Spain.
The programme was unveiled at Fruit Attraction in Madrid last week. VentureFruit is the variety commercialisation business of New Zealand’s T&G Global. The apples come from the Hot Climate Partnership, an international breeding collaboration between:
- IRTA, the Catalan Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology
- BSI, New Zealand’s Bioeconomy Science Institute
- FruitFutur
- VentureFruit
The partnership says the varieties draw on more than two decades of breeding work aimed at apples and pears that perform in hot and warming climates.
Two varieties to start, with more coming
Adore launches with the variety HOT03A1, plus a second variety that harvests four to six weeks earlier. That gives licensees a longer selling window under one brand. The partners say more varieties are in development.
The partners describe the fruit as red, sweet, fruity, juicy and crunchy. They say consumer tasting in Spain, Germany, France, Italy and Hong Kong showed strong overall liking compared with industry benchmarks. Adore joins the partnership’s existing Tutti™ apples and Stellar™ apple trees.
“Growers need varieties that can deliver strong orchard and commercial performance as climates, growing conditions and markets change,” said Morgan Rogers, General Manager of VentureFruit, quoted by FreshPlaza. He added: “The global premium apple category is growing rapidly, creating a real opportunity for growers and investors.”
Emma Brown, General Manager Plant Varieties at BSI, called the launch “a significant milestone for the Hot Climate Partnership.”
Catalonia goes first
The first commercial plantings will be in Catalonia, where 120 hectares are already licensed through FruitFutur. Eva Ogué, Head of IRTA’s Technology Transfer Office, highlighted the region’s role as one of the first to take the varieties to market.
VentureFruit says there is early interest from elsewhere in Europe, South America and South Africa.
The programme uses a flexible licensing model. Growers and marketers choose the variety, or combination of varieties, that best suits their region and market. Territory partners then grow, pack, market and sell within their licensed area. VentureFruit says it will manage plantings worldwide to keep supply in line with demand.
Why it matters beyond Spain
Heat tolerance is no longer just a concern for southern Europe. The UK has just had its hottest summer on record, and growers here have been seeing the effects across many crops. Adore is aimed at hot-climate regions for now, and there’s no word yet on UK trials. But it shows that breeders are now designing apples for the climate growers will face, not the one they had.
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