Deal to sweeten lot for SA cultivars
‘Best practice’ agreement to open doors
CULDEVCO has extended its partnership with the Agricultural Research Council (Arc) for a further 10-year period. The new agreement, signed last week, can be described as a “best-practice” step to commercialise home-grown cultivars locally and internationally.
Culdevco is the commercialisation entity for the five industry associations in the deciduous fruit industry, including Hortgro pome and stone fruit sectors, SA Table Grapes Industry (Sati), Dried Fruit Technical Services (DFTS) and Canning Fruit Producers’ Association (CFPA).
According to the agreement, Culdevco, among other players, is being tasked with the commercialisation of specific deciduous fruit cultivars developed by Arc in South Africa and strategic territories abroad.
Commercial development of Arc-bred varieties already made a significant impact on the South African deciduous fruit industry where the impact was reflected in the number of new cultivars that have been released to the industry in the last 20 years as well as the foreign exchange earned through exporting these cultivars to countries abroad.
In total, 10 pome (apple and pears) fruit, 11 table grape and 67 stone fruit cultivars have been released to the South African deciduous fruit industry during this period and all these varieties will be of great benefit to the industry as they have been specifically developed for local growing conditions.
Culdevco was established in 2006 when the South African deciduous fruit industry and the Arc formed a joint venture to commercialise all Arc-bred varieties and the new agreement represents an improved version of the first one.
Culdevco chairperson Dappie Smit said that as with all things, everything changed with time.
He said the environment within which cultivars were being managed and commercialised in the deciduous fruit industry had changed substantially over the past years and negotiations and deals had to be drawn up that would create a win-win for all parties involved.
He said Culdevco would in future evaluate, commercialise and promote selected Arc cultivars locally among growers.
“The aim is to keep the home-grown advantage before we commercialise cultivars abroad.”
Smit said the recent launch of Joybells, a new table grape variety, at Fruit Logistica in Berlin, hosted within the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) pavilion, was an example of a mutually beneficial multi-stakeholder collaboration between the Arc, the fruit industry and the DTI.
According to a joint statement released by Sati, Arc and Culdevco, last month at the Berlin trade fair, where Joybells was launched, the red seedless table grape variety was developed from an open-pollinated variety, bred by renowned South African breeder, Phyllis Burger, of the Arc based in Stellenbosch.
Willem Bestbier, the Sati chief executive, said at the launch the unique grape variety brings significant benefits such as profitability and well adapted cultivars to the South African table and would enable it to hold its own in the highly competitive international trade environment.
According to Professor Bongani Ndima, a senior research manager at the Arc, the grape industry was worth billions of rand to the South African economy and it was imperative for the council and industry to partner in research and innovation.
Dr Shadrack Moephuli, Arc chief executive, said partnerships such as the one with Culdevco enabled the council to directly disseminate technologies and scientific solutions to farmers and their associated organisations for use in commercial enterprises, which in turn, facilitated the competitiveness and sustainability of the country’s agricultural sector.
“The net effect is market access and sustainable jobs for our society.
“We are confident this agreement will strengthen the relationship between Culdevco, the deciduous fruit sector and Arc for the growth of all South African farmers, with specific targets to bring black agri-entrepreneurs into the industry value chain,” said Moephuli.