The Kiwifruit Breeding Centre in New Zealand will open this week. To further the 30-year relationship between Plant & Food Research and Zespri in kiwifruit breeding, the centre has been established.
This Te Puke-based centre has offices in Kerikeri, Motueka, and Mt Albert, and employs about 45 people. Also, it will be present offshore in some kiwifruit-producing regions.
Funding for the centre will come from Zespri and Plant & Food Research. Both organizations will receive royalties from any new varieties that are commercialised.
New Zealand will extend its position as a world leader in innovative kiwifruit products, says Matt Glenn, the organization’s inaugural chief executive.
“The centre will be key to the future success of New Zealand’s iconic kiwifruit industry,” Glenn explained. “Plant & Food Research and Zespri have laid a very strong foundation. They now want us to spread our wings and develop new cultivars that will delight consumers around the world.”
