The developers of a new grape tomato variety say it can provide a much higher level of productive consistency to growers, and hope to soon commercialize the cultivar in the European market. 

Israeli seed company Hazera Seeds of Growth first released the Olivia variety some three years ago, and it has recently become fully commercialized in Mexico along with a smaller production in the U.S.

The company specializes in tomato breeding - it currently has three active breeding programs for cherry tomatoes alone - and also works with a wide range of other crops including onions, watermelons, cucumbers, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

"We were looking for an elongated mini plum tomato with a high flavor, good yield and good disease resistance for the North American market," Hazera NAFTA manager Yair Askira told www.freshfruitportal.com.

The cultivar is said to be resistant to Fusarium race 3, Fusarium Crown Rot, and nematodes, among standard resistances. Its vigor gives it a long growing season, producing anywhere from 14 to 25 trusses, developers say.

Askira explained one of the most attractive aspects of the variety for growers was the fruit's consistency in terms of size and taste when grown in different conditions - something important for Mexico where the climate and temperatures can vary greatly around the country.

"Most of this product comes from different areas of Mexico, and a little bit from the U.S.. They needed a variety that would be fine with the variable weather, and this has gone down very well with them," Askira said.

The company's global tomato manager Yaron Giras said the U.S. was currently the main destination for the product.

"A proportion is also shipped to Canada as well. It still has not been commercialized in Europe, but there are currently trials on the continent," he said.

Askira also said the Olivia has a complex taste, and minimum sugar levels would almost always be achieved by growers.

"What we find with this variety is almost every grower will get the sugar that they need which is 7.5 [Brix] or more," he said.

"The fruit is firm with very good shelf life. The color is good for the market, and it's bite-size to avoid squirting. From growers' point of view, on the vine it will not crack.

"On the flavor I would say that for almost for everybody that eats the fruit, it's highly acceptable."

Askira added it was very competitive with high-yielding varieties, and also produced a consistently high marketable yield and size right throughout the season.

Hazera sells its seeds to growers in more than 100 countries, according to Giras, and is particularly strong in the domestic Israeli market. There are also strong sales to many places in Europe such as Spain, Greece and Turkey.

www.freshfruitportal.com