42 | Prevar - PIQA Red REGIONAL Growers of Premium Quality Fruit Trees Proud Partners of Prevar and the New Zealand Fruit Tree Company We provide premium Prevar varie�es and are the preferen�al provider of MG Summerfruit trees. We have a range of Premium rootstocks including the Geneva® range, M9DSIR, 719, Emla, Gisela®, Krymsk® 86 and Myrobalan B 0800 4723833 sales@gnl.co.nz 0800 GRAFTED 1023 Links Rd Waiohiki Napier At Genesis Nurseries we pride ourselves on “Enabling growers to be world-leading” We come from a proud history of over 45 years of providing high quality trees to the New Zealand Horticultural industry. Apples Apricots Cherries Nectarines Peaches Pears Plums Rootstocks T T Anne Boswell New pear variety taking on the world Developed in Motueka through a collaboration between innovation company Prevar and the Bioeconomy Science Institute, PIQA Red is an interspecific pear — that is, a hybrid of Chinese, Japanese and European pear varieties. A homegrown pear developed over more than two decades is poised to become the country’s next export success story. The PIQA Red pear represents years of investment, research and selective breeding, with industry leaders believing it has the potential to reinvigorate the global pear industry while delivering strong returns for New Zealand growers and exporters. Developed in Motueka through a collaboration between innovation company Prevar and the Bioeconomy Science Institute, PIQA Red is an interspecific pear — that is, a hybrid of Chinese, Japanese and European pear varieties. The result is a fruit that combines the classic teardrop shape of a European pear with vibrant red skin and crisp, sweet flesh that maintains its eating quality far longer than traditional pears. PIQA Brand Manager Amanda Lyon says consumer response has been overwhelmingly positive both internationally and at home. “Consumers across Asia continue to respond very positively to PIQA, with people drawn to its striking red skin and enjoying its outstanding eating experience,” she says. “We’re also seeing strong results locally. Sampling campaigns found that over half of those who tried the fruit purchased it on the spot and some said they would choose to eat PIQA Red just as often as an apple,” she says. With pears making up only around 3% of New Zealand’s apple and pear exports — and with the global pear market estimated to be worth around US$30 billion — Prevar set out to overhaul a fruit category that was long overdue for reinvention. Pears had developed a reputation for being mushy, unpredictable and difficult to enjoy at the right stage of ripeness. PIQA Red has been bred specifically to overcome those shortcomings, remaining crisp throughout its extended storage life rather than softening into the buttery texture consumers often associate with conventional pears. PIQA Red stores exceptionally well, making it ideally suited to long-distance export markets where maintaining quality throughout the supply chain is essential. Commercial plantings began in 2015, and there are now approximately 170,000 PIQA Red trees growing across Tasman, Hawke’s Bay, Tairawhiti and Central Otago. “Consumers across Asia continue to respond very positively to PIQA, with people drawn to its striking red skin and enjoying its outstanding eating experience.” Although the variety requires specific growing conditions and can be more challenging to produce than conventional pears, that limited production is expected to help preserve its premium value. Around 1.4 million kilograms of PIQA Red was harvested in the 2026 season, with approximately half sent to export markets across Asia, the United Kingdom and Europe. The remaining fruit is being sold in New Zealand supermarkets and produce stores, retailing at around $9 per kilogram. Export demand has been particularly encouraging: PIQA Red can command prices of around US$4 per fruit in some overseas markets, reflecting its premium positioning and helping deliver higher returns to growers. Asia remains a priority market for New Zealand horticultural exports, while licensed growers in Belgium are also helping to establish the variety across Germany and wider Europe, improving year-round availability and building recognition of the PIQA brand internationally. But Prevar is not resting on its laurels. It has spent more than two decades developing additional varieties under the PIQA brand, with new varieties — bred to be more grower-friendly, with higher tonnage — currently being presented to the industry.
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