Arcadia and Bioseed Research India Signs Tomato Agreement

Arcadia Biosciences, Inc., an agricultural technology company focused on developing technologies and products that benefit the environment and human health, and Bioseed Research India Pvt. Ltd., a leading research and hybrid seed development company and subsidiary of 1 billion USD Indian conglomerate DCM Shriram Consolidated Ltd. (DSCL), announced that the companies have signed an agreement to develop Long Shelf Life (LSL) tomatoes.

Because of their perishable nature, many fresh fruits and vegetables are bred for durability and yield rather than for nutrition and taste. Using a non-GM advanced screening and breeding technique called TILLING®, Arcadia has identified a number of genetic variations that allow tomatoes to fully ripen on the vine, yet still remain durable enough to survive the packing and shipping process. The new varieties reduce waste and spoilage in the production cycle while ensuring that the produce is fully ripe and still fresh when it reaches consumers.

An estimated 20-35 percent of tomatoes on average are lost to post-harvest damage in Asia. As the fourth largest producer of tomatoes globally, India represents a significant market opportunity for LSL tomato technology. Tomatoes offer income opportunities for small farmers to serve growing urban markets. LSL tomatoes can help small farmers meet the quality standards of these higher value markets and further help in increasing their profits.

"Much of the fresh produce grown today either spoils on its way to consumers, reducing the value to farmers and grocers, or is picked before it begins to ripen, reducing taste and value for consumers,” said Eric Rey, president and CEO of Arcadia. “Arcadia's LSL technology can minimize waste and, at the same time, improve the flavor and nutrition of the end product.”

Mr. Vikram Shriram, vice chairman and managing director of DSCL said, “These traits are especially valuable in a country like India where fresh market tomatoes are grown mostly in the field and post harvest handling and logistics is rather poor. We plan to grow our hybrid tomato seed business with this new technology which would increase the transportability and extend the shelf life of the tomato in addition to high yield and high disease tolerance with improved filed holding capacity.”