Mixed berries

Soft fruit breeder Planamerica has revealed that it is testing the production of strawberries in certain areas of central Mexico.

According to the group, the trials are aimed at finding a variety which would be competitive during the November to February window.

“The first results show that the Sabrina variety, just recently popular in Europe, is having some good results in central Mexico,” Planamerica CEO Fabricio Blanco told Fruitnet.

Planamerica is this year celebrating its first harvest of strawberries and raspberries after being set up in 2010 by Spanish firm Planasa to develop berry varieties better suited to Mexico.

“Adelita and Lupita, first released in Mexico, are giving the first excellent results,” Blanco explained.

“We’ve got pretty good yields per hectare, large-sized fruit, a shiny texture to the fruit and a light red colour with extended shelf-life.”

For the full story, see the February/March issue of Americafruit Magazine.

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