Portuguese grower becomes first to hold Gold License for Advanced Berry Breeding’s premium variety, which offers jumbo fruit size, lighter red colour and exceptional shelf-life for European retail programmes
Fruit producer The Summer Berry Company (TSBC) has begun harvesting commercial volumes of Malaika, a premium raspberry variety bred by Advanced Berry Breeding (ABB).
Malaika, described as having a jumbo fruit size, lighter red colour and exceptional shelf-life, is now set to reach retail programmes across Europe and the UK while creating new opportunities for growers.
The variety is part of ABB’s Elite Raspberry Collection (ERC) – a programme that ”provides carefully selected growers access to top-performing raspberry varieties, combining strong agronomic performance with consumer appeal”.
TSBC is the first grower in Portugal to hold a Gold License, granting them the right to produce Malaika at scale and sub-license the production of the variety to interested growers in Portugal.
The licensing model emphasises selected accessibility rather than exclusivity, ensuring wider availability while safeguarding quality and consistency.
”Within the crowded berry category where differentiation and reliability are critical, Malaika addresses this challenge by offering retailers a product that stands out both on the shelf and in the supply chain,” ABB noted.
The group highlighted the variety’s premium appearance, shelf stability, consumer experience and category differentiation.
“Malaika is a variety that truly performs for retail,” said Jack Darnes, commercial director at TSBC.
”Its size and appearance make it easy to market, and the shelf-life gives consumers confidence in their purchase.
We believe it will strengthen the category as a whole,” he outlined.
ABB emphasised that for growers, profitability is shaped by harvest efficiency, production timing and post-harvest performance.
Malaika has been developed to support growers in all three areas, it confirmed,
“Our breeding philosophy is about empowering growers,” said Hubert Gadret, chief executive of ABB.
“Malaika is not just a beautiful raspberry – it’s a practical solution that reduces costs in the field while delivering a product retailers are eager to source.
”It’s a win for both sides of the value chain,” Gadret added.
The first commercial harvest of Malaika in Portugal signals the beginning of wider availability across European premium retail programmes, ABB noted.
”With consumer demand for consistent, high-quality fruit at an all-time high, ABB and TSBC see Malaika as a variety that will not only grow in volume but also raise expectations across the category in the years ahead.”
