Spanish soft-fruit specialist Onubafruit, the biggest producer and marketer of berries in Europe, has looked to further strengthen its position as Spain's most prominent raspberry producer by introducing several new and exclusive varieties this campaign.
Onubafruit, which produces 60 per cent of Spain's raspberries, is marketing four new raspberries this season, including Imara, Kweli, Lagorie and Vajolet – varieties that the company says have 'unthinkable flavour, quality and shelf-life'.
The four new varieties are the result of several years investment of over €1m per year, and will be available from early September through until late June.
'There is no firm in Huelva supplying such a full range of berries as the one we provide our customers, with adequate volume, quality and service,' said Onubafruit's commercial director Carlos Esteve. 'this will enable us to be the sole supplier of berries for many big customers.'
The new Imara and Kweli varieties yield in autumn and spring, while Lagorie and Vajolet yield in winter, the group explained.
'They beat an improve the berries already growing in the province, regarding flavour, colour, shelf-life and productivity for our growers as well, so that we are really happy with them, as will our customers and consumers be,' Esteve continued, confirming that Onubafruit would be the one and only producer and marketer of the varieties.
'Our R&D department will keep growing with the world's best breeders and we will have new raspberry varieties in the forthcoming years, as we believe this is the right track and the only way to keep the leadership and prestige we enjoy today,' he added.
Onubafruit, which has been operating for ten years, is Europe's largest berry exporter, trading over 70,000 tonnes of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, while also trading citrus, stonefruit and persimmons.
