Leading Italian breeder reports growing interest from nurseries in Europe, Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America
Italian strawberry breeder Nova Siri Genetics (NSG) says it plans to build new nurseries outside Europe, as it seeks to meet growing demand for the fruit in markets like Egypt and India.
And it has revealed that it could also be ready to unveil its first raspberry selection in the near future.
The group’s international expansion reflects new demand for its licensed strawberries in the Southern Hemisphere and Asia-Pacific, as well as continued interest from growers in Europe and North Africa, which has contributed to sustained growth in its business.
In late August, NSG signed an exclusive partnership with the two Indian companies, Mahaberry and 8 Berries Farm & Nursery, which will test, propagate, and market existing varieties and new selections from natural crosses.
And just last week, the group reported a 15 per cent increase in sales of its strawberry seedlings to approximately 150m as new-season planting got underway in various parts of Europe.
Those young plants are due to bear fruit in the final months of the year and, according to the company, their increased number reflects the success of its new and improved cultivars and their popularity among nurseries and growers.
As a result, it says, hectares planted with NSG strawberries have increased in Europe. And the number of organisations licensed to propagate them has grown too, to 15 in Spain and Poland.
NSG’s Nicola Tufaro explains: “One of the characteristics of our varieties most appreciated by nursery gardeners is definitely their resilience, as this allows plants to be multiplied in the nursery even in difficult soils and without the use of products used in the past to disinfect the soil.”
He adds: “Resistance to the main soil pathogens, in fact, represents an important strong point of our varieties, together with the ability to adapt to current climate changes.”
Beyond Europe
While interest from producers has been strong for some time in parts of the Mediterranean basin – specifically southern Italy, Spain, Albania, Greece, and north Africa – there is also greater sustained interest in NSG strawberry varieties from other areas of the world with a suitably temperate climate, such as Australia, India, South America and South Africa.
“The cultivars of our breeding programme are also appreciated by producers for their adaptability to different types of soil and low environmental impact cultivation techniques,” says Carmela Suriano, EMEA director at NSG.
The company currently has four trademarked strawberry varieties: Marimbella, Rossetta, Melissa, and Gioelita. With complementary ripening periods and fruit characteristics, these are said to allow growers to supply the market for up to eight months per year.
“They stand out for their scalability and excellent productivity,” Suriano adds, “as well as for the organoleptic characteristics, aesthetics, and commercial life of the fruits.”
