YAKIMA, WA - An enticing apple variety is on its way to United States produce departments. As it presses forward in its goal to bring exciting new treefruit offerings to the fresh sector, Proprietary Variety Management (PVM) has formed an agreement with The Netherlands-based plant breeder and marketing company Fresh Forward, becoming the exclusive U.S. propagation and commercialization manager for the Magic Star® apple (WUR200 cv).
“We have been monitoring Magic Star since 2019, and recently harvested the first crop from our test orchard in the Yakima Valley,” stated Kevin Brandt, Chief Operating Officer of PVM. “We were extremely pleased to see how well the cultivar performed in Washington State. The fruit exhibited exceptional flavor and outstanding fruit finish. Of particular interest to PVM are the natural immunities WUR200 cv possesses, as we work to seek out new varieties that are friendly for the grower.”
Magic Star is a flavorful cross between the Elise apple and an unnamed scab-resistant cultivar. According to a press release, it produces a dark red blushed apple with the scab-resistant qualities of its parent and little susceptibility to mildew and is known to have a long shelf-life and hold well in storage.
The fresh, sweet, and crunchy dessert apple has been marketed in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and England for three seasons and received high ranks in taste and consumer appeal, backing PVM and Fresh Forward’s confidence that the variety will also perform well in the U.S.
“We are excited to start up the partnership with PVM to bring Magic Star to the U.S.—the Magic is coming!” said Stephan Geerlings, Marketing Manager of Apples at Fresh Forward.
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