December 21, 2021 | By Ning Fan, FreshPlaza.com

In the last two weeks, Chilean cherries arrived on the Chinese market in large volumes. Although the industry is facing multiple challenges such as, a shortage of labor and packing materials, high shipping costs and a long duration for customs’ clearance, growers and traders are working hard to bring their best quality fruit into the Chinese market.

IFG is a professional cherry breeder with headquarters in the USA. At the moment, the company has over 50 cherry selections on test, including both traditional dark red types and new blush types. These varieties were selected because they are early, have very few ‘double fruits’, and they are large, firm, and full of flavor.

December 16, 2021 | By INDUSTRY PRESS RELEASE

Bakersfield, Calif.-based International Fruit Genetics LLC has selected Agricola Andrea S.A.C. in Peru as the winner for its inaugural D.W. Cain Award competition, with Exportadora Rio Blanco Spa in Chile selected as the runner-up.

In recognition of the legacy of Dr. David Cain, IFG created the D.W. Cain Award to honor his years of dedication and revolutionary breeding developments that have changed the industry. This year will be the first award to be granted and will be subsequently awarded on an annual basis with each year having a different theme and criteria for recognition.

December 10, 2021 | By Ning Fan, FreshPlaza.com

This season’s Peruvian table grape harvest kicked off at the end of October. The peak period of the Peruvian table grapes harvest is expected to begin in early December and will continue until March or April. The arriving table grapes received great reactions in Guangzhou Jiangnan markets and the price is stable.

IFG is a premium fruit-breeding company with more than 45 table grape varieties. Every year IFG’s licensed growers in Peru export more than two million boxes of IFG™ table grapes varieties to China and increasing.

November 15, 2021 | Eurofresh Distribution

Lead plant breeder at IFG Dr Chris Owens shares his view on how changing climates are affecting global fruit production.

Climate change has been affecting many different regions around the globe for decades, and the shift in weather is impacting fruit production. Areas that are being impacted most severely have historically seen significant effects from climate change. However, there are other areas also being affected, such as the North-Western United States and Western Canada with this year’s unprecedented heat. There have also been severe wildfires in many regions, threatening entire fields of crops.

The regions facing the most issues right now are those that are already battling heat and drought. Some areas in Europe have begun moving wine grape vineyards further north or to a higher elevation, adjusting to the planet’s changing climate. Table grapes themselves are more heat tolerant, and IFG’s breeding program has used the most recent heatwave to screen our varieties for heat tolerance. However, there is still a maximum amount of heat that fruit can tolerate, and as climate change continues to alter the environment, it will affect global agriculture and food production.

November 14, 2021 | By INDUSTRY PRESS RELEASE

International Fruit Genetics LLC (IFG) boasts a total of 47 patented table grape varieties, with the IFG™ Sweet Globe™ grape being the most grown grape variety globally, boasting a very aromatic taste, firm texture and excellent storage.

IFG’s licensed grower in Greece, GREEK GRAPE COMPANY - the largest producer in Greece of IFG™ Sugar Crisp™, IFG™ Sweet Globe™, IFG™ Jack Salute™, and IFG™ Sweet Celebration™ grapes - discovered a new use for this spectacular table grape variety: ice cream!

In partnership with EPIK Natural Greek Gelato, a boutique gelato parlor in the heart of Athens, GREEK GRAPE COMPANY created a natural sorbet that became EPIK’s sensation for the summer. EPIK works only with the best Greek grape growers, using natural ingredients and sourcing sustainable, high-tasting materials to turn them into natural, high-end gelato with no additives.

November 8, 2021

El 20 de octubre se inició en Ovalle la cosecha de la cereza más precoz del país. Se presume que, quienes recogieron fruta ese día correrán solos en los mercados internacionales hasta el 10 de noviembre. Al cierre de esta edición ya había llegado el primer despacho aéreo a China, con precios en destino un 16% superiores a 2020. Brooks es la variedad más producida hoy en esa zona, aunque desde hace unos años se han introducido otras, de programas de mejoramiento de Italia y EE UU.

Plant breeders rights are an essential tool for safeguarding intellectual property, including cherry varieties subject to extensive development.

October 30, 2021 | By Jeff Long

Intellectual property (IP) is usually associated with software or other inventions protected by patents and copyrights. IP rights also extend to agriculture, where decades of costly research and development by plant breeders are protected from piracy by international law.

Known as plant breeder rights – or PBRs – these protections grant exclusive control over propagated material such as seeds, plant cuttings and tissue culture for a period of time.

With these rights, breeders can choose to license their new varietals to outside agencies or market them directly. Here’s an introduction to two of the leading North American-based breeders of sweet cherries.

October 27, 2021 | By Jim Prevor, Produce Business

As I thought of what to write about the situation that we, as an industry and as a people, have gone through during our interaction with COVID-19, my first inclination was to look at the experience as a kind of Great Collaboration. Early in the pandemic, we interviewed Michael Muzyk of Bronx, NY-based Baldor, and he told us of how his company had pivoted to survive the pandemic.

One of the examples he gave was how his company, flush with warehouse capacity and trucks when restaurants closed down, came to the aid of Acme, whose own warehouses and trucking capabilities were overwhelmed by the need to handle pandemic supplies and consumer hording of canned goods and other products.

Efforts such as these were inspiring, and similar stories were happening throughout the industry. Yet as useful, indeed inspiring, as many of these efforts were, they seemed more improvisational, fitting the moment, not rewriting the future.

October 26, 2021 | uvadatavola.com

Con l'agronomo Pietro Scafidi, referente IFG per l’Italia, scopriamo gli elementi caratterizzanti delle varietà IFG e gli obiettivi che il breeder si pone per il prossimo futuro riguardo il nostro Paese.Con l'agronomo Pietro Scafidi, referente IFG per l’Italia, scopriamo gli elementi caratterizzanti delle varietà IFG e gli obiettivi che il breeder si pone per il prossimo futuro riguardo il nostro Paese.

L’offerta varietale di IFG in Italia è vasta. Tra le varietà a bacca bianca c’è la Sweet GlobeTM (var. IFG Ten) e la Sugar CrispTM (var. IFG Eleven): in ambiente pugliese Sweet GlobeTM raggiunge la completa maturazione nella prima settimana di settembre, Sugar CrispTM matura dopo la seconda settimana di settembre. La Sweet GlobeTM presenta bacca tonda, a volte ovale, è caratterizzata da una elevata croccantezza e la buccia ha colore crema. La Sugar CrispTM, ha una bacca allungata e presenta una buona consistenza. Se esposta alla luce solare può raggiungere una colorazione gialla, mentre se protetta dalla luce mantiene una colorazione verde/crema. Entrambe le varietà hanno un’eccellente capacità di conservazione se correttamente gestite durante le fasi di (1) coltivazione (in particolare durante la gestione del carico produttivo e degli ormoni per l’ingrossamento della bacca) (2) raccolta e (3) post-raccolta.

September 15, 2021 | By Marieke Hemmes, FreshPlaza.com

Creating an incredible eating experience. That’s the mission of table grape breeding company IFG. “We start with the consumer and then work our way backwards,” says Andy Higgins, the company’s CEO. “If we can’t create an incredible eating experience for the consumer, we feel we’ve failed,” he added.

During the breeding process, the company tracks 45 different traits. Berry weight, yield, disease resistance, and storability are some key characteristics. “However, from a consumer perspective we also look at how well the grape accumulates sugar and what the eating profile is at maturity. In that process, the company heavily relies on consumer panels and internal testing teams.”

Snacking category
It takes about 10 years to develop a new grape variety and once planted, it takes a couple more years for the fruit to be sold commercially. “That brings us to one of the biggest challenges our R&D team is faced with. We need to predict what consumer eating trends are going to be 10 years down the road,” Higgins commented. With that in mind, the company constantly follows consumer trends and tries to understand demographics. “We’ve learned that younger consumers are looking for things to eat that are sweeter, requiring us to look at trends in the snacking category. These trends have taught us that among younger consumers, there is room for flavored varieties like Cotton Candy™.”