Apricot GEN

In an effort to grow its stonefruit breeding and licensing business, Sun World International has named six additional companies as stonefruit licensees, in a bid to create greater availability and distribution reach for the California-based company's proprietary peach, plum, nectarine and apricot varieties.

According to executive vice-president David Marguleas, the newly appointed stonefruit licensees include two Australian marketers, three Israeli packer-marketers and a Chilean distributor.

In addition to distributing stonefruit from new varieties developed by Sun World, the six companies have been awarded licenses to use Sun World's brands, including Black Diamond, Honeycot, Super Star and Black Giant in the marketplace.

The new licensees consist of six marketing companies - Servicios Chilfresh Ltda (Chile), WA Farm Direct and Mercer Mooney (Australia), and Ayelet Hashahar, Rafkor and Rani and Shai Barness (Israel).

“These leading stonefruit companies, along with their producers, will ensure that supermarkets and consumers have even better access to our branded lines of proprietary fresh apricots, plums, peaches and nectarines,' said Marguleas, adding that the six new appointees join 19 existing Sun World stonefruit licensees operating in most major fruit growing regions of the world.