Retail enthusiasm in the UK and beyond fuels Mediterranean ramp-up of Zawadi raspberry plantings, with more than 140ha projected this year
Advanced Berry Breeding (ABB) has said that its Zawadi raspberry variety is entering a ”major growth phase” across Europe.
According to ABB, growers in Morocco, Spain and Portugal are scaling up production in response to rising retail demand.
Morocco and Spain have been the fastest movers, it said, each securing more than 70ha and growing in their first year of commercialisation, marking ”one of the most dynamic expansions in soft fruit cultivation this season”.
This production boom is linked to growing demand from European retailers, driven in part by the strategic efforts of ABB’s UK partners, WB Chambers Farms and Angus Soft Fruits, it noted.
These UK-based soft fruit experts have played a vital role in championing Zawadi within the UK retail sector, ABB confirmed.
As some of the earliest supporters of Zawadi in Europe, they identified its strategic potential early on and actively promoted its agronomic strengths and commercial benefits through extensive trials and direct engagement with UK buyers.
The groundwork has proved instrumental in building retail confidence and laying the foundation for the current demand spike that is now shaping grower investment decisions across Southern Europe, the group explained.
“Zawadi has entered the UK market with a bang,” said Tim Chambers, managing director at WB Chambers Farms.
”The variety is quickly positioning itself as a credible solution for premium winter supply with increasing production in Morocco and Iberia.
”Chambers is delighted with its performance as a grower, importer and distributor, and we look forward to contributing to the next stage of its commercial lifecycle,” he commented.
“Retailers have been clear – they want a raspberry that can deliver quality, consistency, and above all, volume security during low-supply periods,” noted Johnnie McMillan, head of international farming at Angus Soft Fruits.
”Zawadi is ideally positioned to strengthen the winter season in particular,” he added. “It’s performing on all fronts, with benchmarking results this winter being very positive, and we’re now seeing that recognition spread across European markets.”
ABB said that, as growers across Spain and Morocco respond to the demand surge, the 140-plus hectares of plantings represents a key milestone for the variety.
Producers have been particularly drawn to Zawadi’s strong agronomic adaptability to Mediterranean climates, it continued, coupled with low-input requirements and strong disease resistance – factors that translate into both sustainability and profitability in the field.
The current expansion in Morocco is only one facet of Zawadi’s growing footprint, the company pointed out.
Growers in Spain and Portugal have also embraced the variety as a solution to balance seasonal supply, support sustainability targets and meet retailer demand for consistently high-quality fruit in the early calendar months.
“When you manage to develop a variety that truly fills a gap in the market – both agronomically and commercially – it creates a ripple effect across the value chain,” said Hubert Gadret, CEO of Advanced Berry Breeding,
”Zawadi has clearly struck that balance, offering growers a resilient, high-performing crop and giving retailers the quality and supply security they need during a challenging window.”
With supply strengthening across key Southern European regions, Zawadi is well-positioned to deliver value for growers, retailers and consumers alike throughout 2025 and beyond, ABB concluded.
