Start Fresh Forward for innovations in strawberry varieties Plant Research International sets up joint venture with strawberry growers for breeding and exploitation
Plant Research International BV, a division of Wageningen UR, and Fragaria Holland BV, a group of six prominent Dutch strawberry growers, established the new company Fresh Forward on 2 December 2005. Plant Research International has transferred to Fresh Forward its operations related to breeding and the commercial exploitation of varieties of strawberry and other plants, along with all associated contracts. The new strawberry varieties developed by Fresh Forward will in general be available to the entire sector via licences.
The establishment of Fresh Forward will ensure that the strawberry sector will have more innovative strawberry varieties at its disposal than ever before. Fresh Forward will link the know-how available in the market even more directly to breeding. An extensive testing programme will ensure an appropriate positioning for new varieties with a broad appeal as well as those better suited to more specialised market segments.
The variety Sonata, for example, already allows the sector to profit from the synergies available through Fresh Forward. An intensive collective testing programme has already been carried out for this variety, and has, among other things, resulted in detailed cultivation advice.
Fresh Forward will be given the licence agreements that Plant Research International has made in the past in terms of management and exploitation. This involves not only the agreements relevant to strawberry varieties, but also licence agreements concerning other plants.
In addition to the above-mentioned functions, Fresh Forward will also manage plant variety licences for third parties.
The companies represented in Fresh Forward via Fragaria Holland are:
- Plantenkwekerij De Kemp BV, Horst
- RAPO BV, Roosendaal
- Kovaka aardbeiplanten BV, Rucphen
- Goossens Flevoplant BV, Ens
- Plantenkwekerij Maatschap Neessen, Helden-Grashoek
- Van Alphen Aardbeiplanten BV, Galder