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Published on September 13, 2024 in Fresh Plaza

"There is a genuine need for grape varieties... to meet the high demands of the Asian markets."

ARRA Varieties was recently featured in Fresh Plaza Magazine. Click here to view the original article.

The planting and growing of the newest proprietary table grape varieties in China and India, have for years been a hard nut to crack for leading global breeders; they were just not sure how to secure their Intellectual Property (IP) rights. However, over the past few years Grapa Varieties, that commercialize the ARRA varieties around the world, have partnered with one major industry player in each of these countries. Together they can introduce the varieties while securing the IP rights, even in countries where the awareness and enforcement are less established or more challenging.

Rafi Karniel (left) with the Wismettac Team from Japan.

Rafi Karniel, CEO and Chairman of Grapa Varieties, explains that the partner operates as a master licensee who holds exclusive marketing rights, in return, they offer the ARRA program’s IP protection. “Our partner in China is Joy Wing Mau, a leading enterprise in the fruit industry, delivering 3,000 tons of premium fruits daily to over 20 million families. In India we work with Sahyadri Farms, the largest cooperative, made up of close to 20,000 growers-shareholders, while also being India’s biggest exporter of fresh grapes and processed fruit. This method of working with the one most suitable company in each country, is implemented also in South Korea with H&B Asia and in Japan with Wismettac Foods. The network is growing with great partners that we enjoy working with.”

Rafi emphasizes however that “it is not only about IP protection but also to ensure the quality of the grapes. When we work with one exclusive company, it is easier to maintain the quality in each territory. We usually start with a relatively small, selected producer base and then slowly expand to more. This presents a good balance of being present in a way that’s suitable for us in building the varieties’ position in a very controlled way. Furthermore, for export markets, this way the grapes come from one source and is easier to control on both IP and quality levels.”

Grapa Varieties with their Joy Wing Mau partners in China.

Karniel says immense potential lies in all of Asia. “70% of world production is here in Asia; they also have the largest consumption. Growers in Asia are quickly catching up on the industry’s latest developments. “Alongside Australia and New Zealand, now China, India, Japan and South Korea, all have access to the ARRA varieties that appeal to these markets and are now planted in different growing areas in these countries. The feedback and performance of the varieties are rising and very promising, as they are well suited to each market’s distinctive preferences. We were the first table grape breeder to enter China and India, making us pioneers in these countries, which are the number one and two producing countries in the world, the potential is huge. Think about it, currently, for instance, close to 80% of vineyards in India are Thompson, and they, need new varieties that can work for them.”

Australian grapes full market access to Japan
Stephen Nel, the Manager of Grapa Varieties in Australia, says the opening of the Japanese market to Australian-grown table grapes represents a significant opportunity.

Karniel’s message to Australian growers: “There is a genuine need for grape varieties, such as those in the ARRA program, that can thrive in challenging local climate conditions and require minimal labour, while also meeting the high demands of the Asian markets.” Australian ARRA growers can now supply table grapes during the time of shortage between the North and South hemisphere seasons, with the best prices usually received in the gaps. This is why many growers around the world are still looking for very early varieties that are harvested in this period. The ARRA program provides growers with a selection of very early varieties, along with the finest range of grapes that will be showcased at Fruit Attraction in Madrid next month.

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