Planasa’s Adelita raspberries are to be grown on Chinese soil following the Navarra-based plant breeder’s acquisition of a stake in China’s Yunnan Meiming Agricultural Co.
Planasa said in a statement that the premium raspberries would be sold in China and elsewhere in Asia.
Under the terms of the deal, the Spanish company will provide capital and technical expertise to help Meiming develop its raspberry production but the company will remain in the control of its French founders, the Dabilly family.
The project will initially involve 10ha of production in Yunnan province but Planasa’s president Alexandre Pierron-Darbonne said this would triple in two years as new production areas are developed.
“Our arrival in China will allow us to produce premium quality raspberries for the local market and neighbouring countries and will be focused on Adelita, one of the most innovative varieties on the market,” he said.
Adelita is billed as the only primocane raspberry that bears fruit throughout the year in different climates. Its high productivity, ease of handling and long season has also made it a hit among producers, and since its introduction five years ago, global production has risen rapidly.
Planasa already has subsidiaries in Mexico, the US, France, Italy, Poland and Chile.
Sales of fresh berries are surging in China, driven by the growth in the country’s urban, middle class population and the expansion of the retail market.
