Consumers across the world may soon be experiencing tastier, fuller-sized blueberries year-round, thanks to two new partnerships in blueberries that will bring premium quality berries with superior genetics, in secured volumes, to customers across the world.
T&G Global and science organisation Plant & Food Research have announced they are entering into a new agreement to breed and commercialise exciting new varieties of blueberries to be sold globally.
The breeding programme will produce new varieties of blueberry that will provide improved yield and resistance to disease while also delivering consumers larger, tastier berries over a longer period, with an extended harvest season. The first new commercial varieties could be launched globally in the next 12 months under T&G Global’s Orchard Rd brand.
“Blueberries are a key strategic play for us in building our global portfolio, and we’re delighted to build another global category to emulate the success of our premium apple brands,” says Gareth Edgecombe, CEO of T&G Global.
The new partnership builds on an existing agreement that grants the global fresh produce grower and marketer, T&G Global, access to a suite of Plant & Food Research-bred and licensed blueberry varieties for production in Australia.
Teaming up with CarSol
In a further development, T&G Global has agreed to a joint venture with one of the world’s largest berry growers, CarSol Fruit Export, enabling the year-round supply and sale of high-quality berries into the lucrative Asian market in future.
CarSol, a blueberry multi-national based out of the Netherlands, started its operation in Chile around 30 years. It has expanded its footprint in recent years beyond its home growing base in Chile to grow blueberries in Peru and Portugal, utilising new genetics and modern growing methods. The company brings strong commercial experience in the Europe and US markets and decades of expertise in growing, sourcing, packing and shipping of blueberries worldwide.
“We see this as the beginning of a long-term partnership that will give us the ability to source the highest quality supply of blueberries from their global grower base and, working together, build out Asia,” Edgecombe says.
From left: Sebastian Carmona (CarSol CEO), David Hughes (Plant & Food Research, CEO), Gareth Edgecombe (T&G Global CEO), Benedikt Mangold (BayWa)
“T&G Global has ambitious plans and aims to significantly increase sales of blueberries into key Asian markets in 2020 under the Orchard Rd brand, via the new strategic partnership,” he says.
“With our combined strengths in growing, sales and marketing, we’re looking to ramp up the velocity with key customers in Asia, build the Orchard Rd to greater heights, to replicate the international success we have had with JAZZ™ and Envy™ brands.”
For more information:
Belinda Abern
ethy
T&G Global
Tel.: +64 (0) 27 286 3597
Email: Belinda.abernethy@tandg.global