At the 2025 China International Fruit Expo [3] in Shanghai in late August, Riverking Group showcased its Autumn Crisp and Sweet Globe brand table grapes, attracting widespread attention from industry professionals. These premium table grape brands are based on proprietary varieties that breeders have introduced for cultivation in China in recent years.

In 2024, Riverking became the first distributor in China to embrace Sun World International’s [4] licensed growing model and also the primary licensing partner in China for Bloom Fresh [5]. The flagship varieties from these two industry-leading companies are marketed under the Autumn Crisp and Sweet Globe brands.

The Sugrathirtyfive variety, sold under the Autumn Crisp brand, was developed by Sun World. Sugrathirtyfive is a late-ripening green seedless grape with a crisp texture, distinctive sweetness and a Muscat aroma. The variety is now commercially grown in 17 countries, including China.

Sweet Globe (IFG Ten), Bloom Fresh’s flagship table grape, is an early- to mid-season variety with thin skin, firm and crunchy flesh, and a clean, sweet flavor.

Owing to their exceptional flavor, these two varieties and their associated brands are highly sought after in high-end fruit markets both in China and abroad. However, instances of illegal cultivation have emerged. In response, both companies have launched global enforcement actions [6] to combat unlicensed growing and safeguard their plant variety rights and market order.

What motivated Riverking to invest in licensed growing and introduce proprietary varieties? At the “Breeding the Future” event — a workshop focused on premium fruit varieties held during the expo — Gao Beiheng, head of proprietary table grape services at Riverking, shared his insights on proprietary varieties and the future development of the industry.

Gao highlighted five key challenges in China’s fruit industry: (1) despite high enthusiasm for cultivation investments, their success rate remains low; (2) the profitable period for popular varieties is increasingly short; (3) agricultural investment has shifted toward speculation; (4) the essence of new variety marketing has become “speculating in seeds, selling seedlings and marketing agricultural inputs”; and (5) fruit prices fluctuate widely, resulting in thin margins and intense competition.

He then shared pricing information for the Autumn Crisp and Sweet Globe table grapes sold by Riverking, both of which have consistently stayed in the premium range of 25 to 40 Chinese yuan ($3.51–5.61) per kilogram for seven consecutive years. In contrast to some domestic varieties that enjoy only fleeting success, this clearly illustrates the differing outcomes of indiscriminate cultivation versus planned cultivation.

How should the fruit industry address these challenges? Riverking offers a clear path: respect international plant variety rights, protect proprietary varieties, and adopt the licensed growing and sales model.

Riverking summarized four key lessons from licensed growing: (1) licensed hectarage is carefully planned, preventing indiscriminate cultivation and market disorder; (2) licensed growing and licensed sales are integrated, helping maintain market stability; (3) breeding companies actively protect their rights, which serves as a core guarantee for orderly industry development; and (4) the paid use of proprietary varieties and product consignment fees enables longer-lasting cooperation among breeders, growers and sellers.

Gao candidly noted, “The performance of a variety cannot be judged by words alone.” Assessing fruit solely by its appearance, taste or ease of cultivation is insufficient to demonstrate a variety’s true excellence. “Only when these qualities are combined with planned cultivation aligned with market demand can a variety be considered genuinely successful,” he added.

“With proprietary varieties gaining global recognition and protection from leading international companies, it is also essential to choose like-minded partners to walk this path together,” Gao emphasized. “Brands create premium value, while cultivation shapes the brand. Long before embracing the licensed growing and sales model, Riverking had already established a dual technical management system to ensure proven practices could be applied consistently across all production bases. By partnering with global industry leaders — absorbing their advanced technologies, management expertise and business philosophies — collaboration becomes a win-win. And in learning to dance with giants, one eventually grows into a giant as well.”

According to Gao, China’s fruit industry can achieve full integration into the global supply chain only through fundamental reforms in cultivation practices, strategic collaboration with leading breeding companies to introduce and develop new varieties, systematic improvements in technology and management, and cultivation that is guided by market demand.

Images: © 2025 Produce Report (main image), Sun World International LLC (body image one), Bloom Fresh (body image two)