MEDIA RELEASE Issued: 8 November 2009
STRICTLY EMBARGOED: 11.00pm Sunday 8 November 2009
Government and ZESPRI announce $35.7 million investment in ZESPRI/Plant & Food Research Consortium
Investment will fast-track plant breeding research and the
development of new kiwifruit cultivars
The Hon Dr Wayne Mapp, Minister of Research Science and Technology, has announced a $35.7 million dollar investment into
a seven-year ZESPRI/Plant & Food Research programme to develop new kiwifruit varieties.
The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology will contribute $15.2 million to the programme with ZESPRI
contributing $20.5 million. Plant & Food Research will partner with ZESPRI and the Foundation to form the world’s largest and most significant research and
development (R) programme into new kiwifruit varieties.
The investment in this consortium demonstrates the government’s commitment to the horticulture sector and to achieving
targets for growing New Zealand’s export earnings from horticulture.
The horticulture sector aims to double the value of its earnings to $10 billion per annum by 2020.
“By investing in the most rigorous and exacting kiwifruit R programme, we can ensure that new generations of New Zealand kiwifruit are the best in the world and that their
commercial success delivers value and export earnings to New Zealand and New Zealand growers,” said Mr Lain Jager, CEO
ZESPRI.
Foundation Chief Executive Murray Bain says the size of the investment is consistent with the importance of the
kiwifruit industry to New Zealand.
“We have world leading breeding expertise at Plant & Food Research being matched with ZESPRI’s track record of success with ZESPRI® GOLD. This long term funding provides a
strong platform to produce new cultivars that will be significant export earners for New Zealand.”
The injection of $35.7 million over seven years will enable ZESPRI and Plant & Food Research to significantly up-scale their joint kiwifruit breeding programme.
“By investing in a proven partnership, we are able to make a step increase in the number of new cultivars developed in
the breeding programme and introduce cutting edge plant breeding, screening and evaluation technologies to gain greater
efficiencies and reduce the time to market,”said Mr Bruce Campbell, COO Plant & Food Research.
ZESPRI® GOLD, a product of the existing breeding programme, currently worth over $468 million in global revenues
annually, is an industry success story and a benchmark for all new cultivar R
The research programme will target development of new varieties differentiated by their appearance, sensory or health
attributes.
“As we fill the research pipeline and bring a number of new cultivars to the market, it is realistic to expect that
within the term of this consortium, one outstanding cultivar will emerge and be commercially released with forecast
sales of NZ$300 million,” said Mr Jager.
By integrating the investment in R with a defined and successful pathway to market, New Zealand kiwifruit growers will benefit from the efficiencies of an
integrated industry structure.
ENDS