Around seven months after buying a minority stake in New Zealand-based T&G Global, Shenzhen-based group Joy Wing Mau has made ownership moves with China's representative of the Associated International Group of Nurseries (AIGN). 

(L-R) Jerome Chen, Patrick Ballew, Julie Greene, Rex Graham, Liu Mau Wah, John Morton and Lewis Dagger.

In an announcement today, Shennong Variety Management (SVM) of Kunming City, Yunnan said Joy Wing Mau had acquired a minority share interest in the company.

SVM has been introducing new fruit and berry cultivars into China since 2007, and is also now helping Chinese breeding programs monetize their fruit varieties in the rest of the world.

"SVM is really excited about Joy Wing Mau’s involvement with SVM. Joy Wing Mau is one of the largest produce distributors in China and we see huge new opportunities in China for all of SVM’s proprietary fruit and berry varieties," SVM chair Rex Graham said in the release.

"SVM’s relationship with Joy Wing Mau creates the link between intellectual property management of new fruit varieties and produce distribution that is essential for commercial success of SVM’s fruit varieties in China."

Joy Wing Mau chairman Liu Mau Wah said the company's key to success had been the delivery of high quality fruit to customers.

"Our company motto is ‘Better Fruit, Better Life.’ As Joy Wing Mau moves into the future, I believe that we must have access to new and better varieties to continue to honor our company motto," he said.

"Our connection with SVM and AIGN gives us that access.  We can now bring into China the best and most competitive fruit varieties in the world, both today and for the future."

While SVM is based in China it also has an office in Hastings in New Zealand's key production region of Hawke's Bay.

Headline photo: SVM

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