[Press Release] Migiva Group Differentiates Premium Table Grape Offer

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Lima, Peru, March 9, 2021 – In line with its commitment to supplying the freshest, most fabulous and flavorful fruit, Migiva Group – a family-owned group of diversified companies in the Americas and owner of fresh produce grower-exporter Agricola Andrea – is excited to reveal its strategic partnership with Hazel Technologies Inc. in the United States to trial the post-harvest application of Hazel® for grapes on a commercial scale.

Over the last year, the two companies have been researching and developing the product, which has the potential to deliver significant added value for quality-obsessed Agricola Andrea in delivering table grapes of the very highest quality standard to its high-end markets.

In particular, Hazel® for grapes has been shown to favor the post-harvest quality and condition of table grapes, thereby prolonging shelf life, reducing dehydration and improving the fruit’s visual appearance.

Following positive trials last season, the product is being trialed commercially this season (2020–2021) on exports of Agricola Andrea’s table grapes from Peru destined primarily for Asia, as well as Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, among other destinations.

Eduardo Mazzini, commercial director of Migiva Group, explains, “In this business, and especially for the high-end markets that we serve, nothing is more important than the perfection of the fruit and its eating experience. We don’t just sell fruit; we sell an extraordinary eating experience! We are passionate about distinguishing ourselves with the best quality fruit.”

Mazzini continues, “If proven to be successful on a commercial scale, Hazel® for grapes could be very significant for us and our industry. Based on our trial results we believe that Hazel® favors the grapes post-harvest. The fruit keeps fresher for longer; the stems look greener, as if they were not long ago harvested. This is key because the condition of the stems is a known indicator of freshness in grapes.”

Martin Roeder, Latin America sales manager at Hazel Technologies, comments, “Our growth in Peru has been fantastic in our first year of commercial operation. Our ultimate goal is to allow our customers to provide the highest quality fruit, decrease food waste, and increase sales. For post-harvest protection in grapes, there is no solution simpler than Hazel®.”

Quality comes first for innovative Agricola Andrea, a well-known and long-standing producer-exporter in Peru that focuses on delivering a superior consumer eating experience through unparalleled quality, specialty varieties and best farming practices. For grapes, Agricola Andrea only plants varieties bred by International Fruit Genetics (IFG) and is among the largest growers of IFG table grapes in the Southern Hemisphere.

Just one year ago, the group began testing Hazel® for grapes on a handful of its grape shipments and within its cold storage units.

Mazzini comments, “The tests last season were not enough to be conclusive but enough to move forward to commercial trials. The results are consistent with a better appearance of the fruit during post-harvest, and the lifespan of the fruit is seemed to be prolonged by about one week, although this is not conclusive yet at a large commercial scale.”

For now, Migiva’s partnership with Hazel Technologies will focus solely on the Hazel® for table grapes technology but the progressive group is open to further collaboration in the future.

Mazzini notes, “It will be interesting to see where this project leads us to. Hazel Tech® is very keen on innovation and so are we!”

About Hazel®

• Hazel® is an easy-to-use, small, biodegradable sachet that is placed inside the packaging of grapes and releases a chemical (MCP) to delay the emission of ethylene and the maturation of the fruit.
• Hazel® protects the quality of the grape stem during shipment, maintaining green color and stem turgidity for longer.

About Migiva Group

Migiva is a family-owned group of diversified and vertically integrated companies headquartered in Peru. Migiva Group’s agricultural division AgroMIGIVA comprises over 25,000 acres of prime farming land and multiple state-of-the-art processing plants in Peru, Uruguay and the United States.

In Peru, one of Migiva’s most notable fresh produce subsidiaries is table grape innovator Agricola Andrea, the leading International Fruit Genetics (IFG) grape variety grower in the Southern Hemisphere. Agricola Andrea serves the top retailers worldwide with premium-quality grapes and outstanding service.

For more information, visit: www.migivagroup.com

About Agricola Andrea

Founded in 2003 in Ica, Peru, progressive grower-exporter Agricola Andrea benefits from 18 years of experience in the fresh produce business. With a focus on high-performance agriculture, Agricola Andrea produces the finest varieties of table grapes (black, green and red varieties), asparagus, tangerines, apples, pears and pecans across more than 2,000 hectares of production for export to 32 countries worldwide. Recognized as one of South America’s best quality table grape growers, Agricola Andrea works only with IFG varieties, to grow and supply premium-quality table grapes for high-end consumer markets.

For more information, visit: www.agricolaandrea.com

About Hazel Technologies Inc.

Hazel Technologies is a USDA-funded startup company that develops new solutions to extend the quality shelf life of fresh produce and reduce food waste. Founded in 2015, Hazel Technologies services over 150 of the world’s largest fresh produce packers, shippers, and retailers. Selected as a finalist for Fast Company’s 2020 World Changing Ideas and winner of “Best Sustainable Packaging,” at the 2020 World Food Innovation Awards, the company’s patent-pending technologies have been tested by top academic research programs including UC Davis, Cornell University, and Oregon State University. In 2020, Hazel was used with over 3.2 billion pounds of fresh produce, preventing more than 270 million pounds from going to waste.

For more information, visit www.hazeltechnologies.com

Image: Migiva Group