Capespan delights with new plum cultivar ( Tuesday 08 July 2008 )

With exclusive rights until 2012 on uber-plum cultivar African Delight, Capespan Exports is increasing the hectares planted to fulfill keen UK market demand.

After exporting 7 000 cartons in 2007/8, market feedback from a top UK retailer was positively overwhelming. It acknowledged African Delight™ as one of its finest lines, according to Capespan Exports technical advisor Michiel Bester.

As one of two companies that obtained rights to African Delight™, Capespan Exports secured the contract from the Agricultural Research Council’s (ARC) commercial arm Culdevco, mainly because of its vast technical expertise. Over two years, this expertise was applied in trials to reduce shrivelling on the cultivar. Recognising the potential of this superb plum in terms of world-wide demand, the company named it African Delight™ to extend the African theme of yellow plum range African Pride®. And the name also proved to be a winner with consumers, said Bester.

The red plum – usually a colour favoured by the public – is a good size; has great storage ability, which means the marketing period can be manipulated; and has excellent eating quality with sugars at an unheard-of level for South African plums – between 16 and 20 brix.

"About 20 producers have planted the variety, because they immediately recognised African Delight™’s outstanding prospects," said Bester. "We simply can’t keep up with demand! For the 2008/9 season, we estimate exports of 15 000 cartons and expect substantial export volumes within the next five years."

ENDS
For more information contact Michiel Bester on 082 881 7697 or michiel_bester@capespan.co.za

Photo: Capespan's Petri van der Merwe with plums in UK retail outlet

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