Breeder welcomed more than 300 guests to August 2025 Field Day Event
This August Sun World International hosted more than 300 licensees, marketers, retailers and partners from across the world at its Center for Innovation in Wasco, California, for a Field Day event spotlighting the breeder’s late season varieties.
The event gave visitors a clear view of Sun World’s latest advancements and underscored the shifting consumer preferences reshaping the category.
“Consumers now expect larger berries, crisp texture, and layered flavours — from muscat to peach, rose, and citrus — with Autumncrisp continuing to anchor this demand,” the company said in a release.
Attendees sampled new selections from Sun World’s late-season programme which are bred for durability, crunch, and longer shelf life, even under late-season weather pressure.
Sun World also highlighted how its latest breeding advancements are designed to lower inputs and production costs, pesticide applications, and adapt to unpredictable climate conditions.
“These efficiencies free up labour, improve vineyard sustainability, and create more reliable yields,” it said.
“When our global partners are in the vineyard, tasting new selections and discussing climate challenges, they’re not just seeing what’s coming next season, they’re seeing what’s coming in the next decade,” said Bernardo Calvo, president and CEO of Sun World International. “Consumers are raising the bar, and it’s our responsibility to anticipate, innovate, and deliver – not just react.”
The event also spotlighted how Sun World is harnessing AI and genetic analysis to accelerate the decade-long journey from seedling to shelf. DNA indicators now guide breeders toward desired traits including berry size, vine strength, post-harvest performance, with greater precision, shortening timelines and improving predictability.
“Our job is to anticipate where the market is going – from climate shifts to consumer tastes – and to give growers the genetics, insights, and confidence to thrive,” said Calvo. “That’s what makes these field events so powerful: they bring our entire network into the conversation about the future.”
