A new raspberry variety is to be launched by BerryWorld to coincide with the royal celebrations taking place in the UK this year.
DiamondJubilee will be available this autumn in supermarkets. It is a large berry, light in colour and firm with a good shelf life, said the company. However, the crop will only be available in small volumes, withjust 20 tonnes expected to be produced this year by sole grower Harry Hall of Hall Hunter Partership.
The variety is a product of the Berryworld Plus breeding programme, which was set up in 2003 as a joint venture between BerryWorld, breeder E Vinson and Hall Hunter Partnership.
Hall said he was growing 1,000 plants this year with an expected crop of 20 tonnes. In 2013, he hopes to increase this to over 100 tonnes, he told FPJ. The UK produces between 8,000 and 9,000 tonnes of raspberries per year.
