Key Takeaways:
- Foray Bioscience and Z's Nutty Ridge have signed a partnership agreement to develop fabricated seeds for proprietary hybrid hazelnut varieties adapted to the northeastern United States.
- The agreement includes a three-year, multi-million dollar forward purchase plan between the two companies.
- Z's Nutty Ridge has spent 30 years breeding hazelnut varieties with cold-hardiness, Eastern Filbert Blight resistance, and high nut quality.
- The global hazelnut market is valued at over $12 billion, with approximately 70% of supply concentrated in Turkey's Black Sea coast.
- This is Foray Bioscience's second fabricated seed partnership, following an earlier agreement with West Coast Chestnut.
Foray Bioscience Partners With Z's Nutty Ridge to Bring Hazelnut Varieties to Scale
Plant biomanufacturing company Foray Bioscience has announced a fabricated seed production partnership with Z's Nutty Ridge, a nut tree nursery and breeding orchard located in the Finger Lakes region of New York. The agreement aims to accelerate the distribution of regionally-adapted hybrid hazelnut varieties to growers in the northeastern United States.
The Challenge of Scaling Nut Trees
Bringing new varieties of long-lived perennials like nut trees to market can take decades. This bottleneck has historically limited access to improved plant genetics, even when suitable varieties exist. The partnership between Foray Bioscience and Z's Nutty Ridge is structured to shorten that timeline significantly using fabricated seed technology.
About the Agreement Between Foray Bioscience & Z's Nutty Ridge
Under the signed agreement, Foray Bioscience will develop fabricated seeds for a selection of Z's Nutty Ridge's proprietary hybrid hazelnut parent varieties. The deal includes a three-year, multi-million dollar forward purchase plan and is expected to create a path to scaled distribution several years faster than conventional methods.
