Sep 30, 2009

New York Growers Form ‘Club’ To Market Cornell Apple Varieties

A new company, NYAG LLC, has been formed by a group of New York apple growers, and its primary purpose is to grow, pack, market and sell new advanced apple selections from Cornell University’s Apple Breeding Program. That program is led by Susan Brown at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, N.Y. The company was formed in March and recently submitted a business plan to Cornell.

“Managed fruit varieties are starting to dominate the introduction of new cultivars by plant breeders around the world,” said Roger Lamont, an apple grower from Albion, N.Y., and chairman of the board of NYAG. “Cornell University is ready to release two new apple varieties and has been seeking a partner to team with to bring these new, exciting apples to the marketplace.”

Cornell, via an advisory council recommendation, will choose a partner to team with for exclusive rights for new apple varieties, he said. If NYAG is the chosen partner, contract negotiations with Cornell will commence in September.

The goals of NYAG are:

•To introduce outstanding new apple cultivars to the marketplace

•To allow any New York apple grower the opportunity to become a member

•To enhance New York apple grower sustainability, growth and long-term competitiveness

•To secure exclusive variety contracts that allow its members and licensing partners to profit from growing and selling these varieties

•To invest funding directly to the Cornell apple breeding program to ensure continued variety improvement in the future.

If NYAG is chosen by Cornell as the prospective licensing partner (NYAG is the only contender), it will begin a grower communication program that will include both written and oral presentations to the New York state apple grower community, Lamont said. NYAG will discuss the business plan, including expansion of the grower board and how any New York grower can join the corporation through an investment.

“There will be opportunities for all growers, from small farm marketers to large commercial wholesalers, to join, and the initial investment required will correlate to the size of your business,” Lamont said.

That feature, Lamont said, sets this venture apart from other “club variety” ventures, in that it includes all New York growers who want in. This recognizes the interests of New York taxpayers and New York growers, who fund the breeding program at their land-grant university.

“Everybody is looking for the next Honeycrisp,” Lamont said. “But any good variety can benefit from management. We may need to limit acreage so as not to kill the variety.”

Cornell bred the Empire variety in the 1960s, he said.

“It took 20 years for it to catch on. That’s no way to support a breeding program and no way to bring a new variety to market. Somebody needs to commercialize new varieties, the university is not set up to do it, and it needs the revenue to support the breeding program.”

The two new varieties have not been formally released and are still in the patenting process, Lamont said. Cornell is propagating the wood and is working with a New York nursery to increase budwood supplies. But it will be three or four years before any of the new apples will make it to market. During that time, NYAG will be developing a marketing plan and promoting the new varieties.

The current executive board of NYAG represents all major apple production regions of the state. Board members are Lamont, vice chairman Jeff Crist of Walden, treasurer Walt Blackler of Lafayette, secretary Bob Norris of Savannah and, in member relations, Mason Forrence of Peru, N.Y. Lamont farms with his brother George, who is also a well-known figure in the apple industry.

“NYAG members are excited about what this new venture will mean to growers, customers and consumers of New York state apples,” Lamont said. “With two new selections coming soon and potentially more to follow, we are confident that New York apple growers will be well positioned to be at the core of a successful future for our industry.”