The Italian group has embarked on commercial tests with four of the country’s suppliers
Italian breeding company G-Berries has established commercial trials for its raspberry varieties in Morocco, where growers see good potential for early supply ahead of rival Spain. Following initial tests in 2023, the group is now working with four local companies – Afripick, North Bay Produce, Venture Fruit, and Vita Blue – to build volume in two particular varieties, known as EasyRock and EasyStar.
So far, the Easy Club Morocco project has created 15ha of production around Agadir and also in northern Morocco. Ultimately, its members aim to supply raspberries for a long period of the year to markets across Europe.
“We expect to see major growth in the next few years, and we cannot wait to see consumers smile as they taste Moroccan Easy fruit,” says Alessandro Gualandi, variety development manager at G-Berries. “Feedback from the field is really positive, and the growers are happy with what they have in their greenhouses.”
EasyRock is described as a high-quality, double-cropping variety that can produce firm, tasty and attractive berries. EasyStar, meanwhile, is an evergreen variety – suitable as a winter crop, and also as a double-cropping variety.
In both instances, the name is a nod to their ease of picking. According to Gualandi, this can be done when the fruit remains very pale, something which he says increases picking speed and cuts waste. Even more significantly, this could make it much easier for Morocco to reach markets that are further away.
It’s another reason why the country has attracted plenty of attention recently when it comes to berries. And it explains why G-Berries felt compelled to work with local player International Nursery, around one hour south of Agadir.
“Ours is a major investment, and the quality of the work being done is reflected in the high quality seen in Moroccan berries nowadays when they arrive on the shelves,” Gualandi observes. “We as G-Berries are working to expand our presence in the world of berries, and in Morocco we have found some of the best conditions to work: nice people, good entrepreneurs, managers with vision. These were exactly the personal traits we needed to start our project in Morocco.”
The idea was simple, he adds. Find good and interested companies who are willing to expand their market and their varietal selection. “We put our up-to-date genetics and our knowledge of varieties on the table, and they brought their ability to grow top quality fruits and their innovative presence on the market.”
