Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Grower co-op to handle release of new apricot cultivars

Updated at 1:28 pm on 11 August 2010

Apricot growers will form a company to handle the release of new varieties developed in a summerfruit breeding programme.

The grower cooperative will give growers total ownership of the unique new cultivars, managing their planting and release.

The summerfruit breeding programme, a joint initiative of Plant and Food Research and Summerfruit New Zealand, is trialling late-variety apricot cultivars and a low-chill apricot.

Summerfruit New Zealand chairman Gary Bennetts says growers will pay a $2 royalty to the co-op for every new tree they plant and an annual levy of $500 per hectare to fund the research.

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