Dutch breeder Flevo Berry has renamed its Sunsation strawberry variety to Sonsation after it was found to clash with the name of a sunflower.
The Ens-based group said it was contacted by the owner of the Sunsation sunflower, Evanthia BV, and the matter was settled in a “decent and understanding manner”.
Flevo Berry commercial director Steven Oosterloo said: “The Sunsation strawberries are doing really well in the market, as are the Sunsation sunflowers by Evanthia. In cases like this, confusion about brand names is the last thing you want.
“Given the popularity of our variety, we’ve decided to only slightly change the product name. That way, the variety will remain recognisable within the value chain.
Evanthia MD Nico Grootendorst said: “The names are very similar, but we understand that it’s important not to make drastic changes. I sincerely hope that the new name will continue to contribute to the success they have in mind at Flevo Berry.”
Flevo Berry said the popularity of Sonsation has already exceeded expectations, with demand currently much higher than the number of plants available.
“Most breeders have always focused on the short-day midterm segment, and that’s where most of the supply of varieties can be found,” said Oosterloo. “We initially thought it would be less interesting to focus on that category. However, practice has shown the opposite: the growers are very enthusiastic and see Sonsation as an improvement compared to a variety like Sonata.
“We will continue to gain further practical experience with Sonsation and we will continue to raise the level of propagation,” he added.
