Cot International, nestled in the heart of apricot production near Nimes in southern France, is on a mission to breed varieties renowned for their outstanding flavor, aroma, post-harvest qualities, productivity, self-fertility, and disease resistance.
Eternal Fresh, a vertically integrated company based in Australia, excels in every facet of the stone fruit supply chain, from research and development to variety commercialization, farming, packing, marketing, and distribution. The two companies have a commitment to working with robust trees resulting in delivering top-quality fruits to consumers. Eternal Fresh has cemented its reputation as the leader in marketing and distributing Australian stone fruits in Asia in particular China. Marie Nelmes leads the charge in overseeing the company's market development program with leading retailers introducing new exciting varieties.
Meanwhile, from South Australia, Michael Trautwein spearheads the variety management division at QFM Variety Management. He is the founder of the “The Chosen Ones® which has established a premium price not seen before in China and South-east Asia.
The heart of innovation: Cot International
Currently, the Cot International breeder Marie-Laure Eteve has developed three distinct types of apricots: red-fleshed with red skin, offering a sweet taste with a strong apricot aroma, white-fleshed with a vanilla flavor and aroma, and extremely pleasing appearance in colour, and thirdly bi-color apricots, with apricot-orange flesh, known for its sweetness and apricot aroma and taste.
All these apricots share the same characteristics. They are self-fertile, sharka resistant, have high sweetness, are low in acidity, are productive, do not require high chill, are resistant to marking, and have great post-harvest handling including extended shelf life.
Red Rouge Cot apricots
Vanilla Cot Apricots
Michael comments: "Each year, the Eternal Fresh team visits France in June and July, and the fruits we taste are nothing short of amazing. The focus is on uncovering not just good, but exceptional and extraordinary varieties. Amidst the global breeding programs, Cot International commands a substantial 40% share of new apricot planting in France. They have taken the lead from the traditional Spanish breeders."
"At Eternal Fresh, we have developed a profound understanding of our customers' needs, allowing us to serve as advisors. Through our variety management and packing expertise, we have built a business dedicated to delivering unique product offerings to our customers in Asia. Eternal Fresh is proud to be the leading player in this space to provide both a diverse range of stone fruit varieties and the exceptional value we bring to our customers," says Michael.
QFM Variety Management has its sights set on introducing the varieties of the future to the global market within the next twenty years. In a landmark agreement, the company has partnered exclusively with Cot International to propagate and market all their varieties in the Southern Hemisphere.
Michael continues: "The purpose is to introduce apricots that captivate consumers with their sensational flavor and appearance. The decline in apricot consumption can be attributed to a lack of consumer-focused varieties, but we firmly believe that apricots will be the next big sensation in the stone fruit category. With our new varieties, we believe we will revolutionize the industry and reinvigorate consumers’ love of apricots."
Michael shares the journey of the newly established cooperation: "In June 2023, we hosted an event with Cot International, where growers from Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and South Africa gathered at Cot International's research center in Nimes. During this visit, growers had the unique opportunity to witness the harvest of fruit from a white-flesh apricot orchard destined for France’s premium leading fresh produce retailer, Grand Frais. Here, the apricots are consistently sold at premium prices."
A high-end Chinese supermarket’s head buyer joined the visit and commented: “The fruits remind me of the much-loved apricots from western China with even better aroma and taste.” The buyer is excited to stock the apricots in their stores.
"Our vision is to collaborate with like-minded quality growers in Chile, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, uniting to bring the ultimate apricot flavors to consumers in both the southern and northern hemisphere markets, including Asia, Europe, and North America. We aspire to work with the best growers in the Southern Hemisphere, expanding our portfolio of new varieties in the acclaimed The Chosen Ones® brand, thereby advancing the apricot industry," Michael continues.
With a focus on innovation, quality, and sustainability, Eternal Fresh and Cot International are paving the way for a new era in stone fruit production, with apricots poised to emerge as the next big sensation in the market. Cot International has also extended its reach, establishing a satellite breeding program in southern Spain, near Murcia, offering a low-chill site that will create new apricot production regions. Along with the apricot program, Cot International has been breeding aromatic plums and cherries which QVM intends to bring to the market in the very near future.
As QFM Variety Management introduces these varieties into Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and South Africa, QFM welcomes share-visioned quality growers to join this journey to grow these exceptional varieties to lead the industry in the next 20 years.
For more information:
For inquiries email: apricot@thechosenones.com.au
Cot website: https://www.cot-international.eu/en
Eternal Fresh website: http://eternalfresh.com/
The Chosen Ones: https://thechosenones.com.au/
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October 24, 2023 at 07:16PM
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