The Catalan cooperative will produce ASF Edition’s Ondine and Regal-in round and flat stonefruit varieties
Lleida-based cooperative Fruits de Ponent has signed an agreement with ASF Edition to grow and market the breeder’s premium Ondine and Regal-in-branded stonefruit.
The Ondine and Regal’in labels cover a group of carefully selected round and flat varieties of peach, nectarine and apricot characterised by their flavour, attractive appearance, productivity and long post-harvest shelf-life. They are grown and marketed by ASF’s its parent company, Frutaria.
Fruits de Ponent, which has more than 2,000ha of stonefruit production, has committed to planting 100ha of round varieties and 225ha of flat varieties under the brand.
Alfonso Rivera, general director of Frutaria, said Fruits de Ponent’s specialised stonefruit knowledge would guarantee “a great strategic alignment, that will be both agile and efficient”.
Josep Presseguer, managing director of Fruits de Ponent, said the deal will allow the cooperative to take a giant step forward in quality, as “we will offer the consumer select stonefruit with brands of recognised prestige”.
Presseguer noted that these types of alliances help bring added value to the stonefruit sector and protect growers from commoditisation.
