Pyrmont, New South Wales, Australia
May 30, 2016
Abundant Produce Ltd ((ASX: ABT), “the Company”), Australia’s only listed plant breeding company, is pleased to announce that its first lines of hybrid tomatoes will enter commercial trials in line with the schedule laid out in the supplementary prospectus dated 15 March 2016.
“We have carefully selected our tomatoes with a high Brix number, which indicates better flavour. Some of our lines are showing Brix levels more than 2.3 times higher than tomatoes currently selling through Australian grocer retailers. By combining this with other sensory attributes to optimise colour and aroma, we are crafting unique edible experiences,” said Chief Research Scientist Dr Nabil Ahmad (pictured).
Having tested 40 combinations of Abundant Produce’s F1 hybrid tomatoes, the Company has now selected five tomato lines with commercially appealing characteristics. These tomato types include mini roma, grape, mini beef steak and two types of cherry tomatoes – bred to optimise yield, disease resistance, flavour, shelf life and the proportion of A-grade fruit.
Abundant Produce looks forward to proceeding to commercial tomato seed trials over the next two months with a range of interested parties.
The Company notes that more tomatoes are consumed throughout the world than any other vegetable. The Australian tomato market, estimated at around 120 million seeds per annum, is marked by an increasing consumer preference for quality, flavourful produce.
“We have developed our tomato program to respond in a targeted fashion to the unmet needs of the fresh produce market,” said Abundant Produce Chief Executive Officer Tony Crimmins.
“Having expanded our greenhouse capacity by 174% earlier this month, Abundant Produce will continue to develop its world-class plant intellectual property. The Company looks forward to meeting the market’s needs more quickly than originally anticipated.”
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