Portuguese berry growers organisation, Bfruit and the Belgian service provider, Special Fruit, have announced their new strategy alliance at Fruit Logistica in Berlin, in the presence of Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development in Portugal, Luis Capoulas Santos.
Through this strategic alliance, both partners aim to strengthen their competitive position in the challenging European soft fruit sector.
The agreement concerns the production and commercialization of popular raspberry varieties Kwanza and Kweli from the Dutch breeder, Advanced Berry Breeding (ABB), Bfruit and Special Fruit will work together through Portuguese company, Multiberry, which is the exclusive license holder of Kwanza and Kweli for Portugal.
Multiberry is a joint venture between the Belgian service provider Special Fruit and Gijs Hoogendoorn, owner of the Portuguese berry production and plant propagation company, First Fruit. This new collaboration will see Multiberry become the exclusive supplier of Kwanza and Kweli plants and will also continue to test new soft fruit varieties under Portuguese conditions and license them to high-quality berry growers.
Bfruit, with headquarters in Guimarães, currently unites more than 120 Portuguese soft fruit and kiwi producers and through this agreement, will be able to strongly expand its growers base and export volumes, and provide its members access to new soft fruit varieties and enhanced technical support.
Both partners aim to recruit at least 100 hectares of Kwanza and Kweli growers by 2018. Together with the creation of a new berry production company – United Berries – near Odemira, Bfruit’s total production area will increase to approximately 250 hectares across Portugal.
Special Fruit will gain access to large, year round volumes of the highly popular raspberry varieties Kwanza and Kweli and will provide Bfruit access to new export markets for its other products.
With this alliance, Bfruit, Multiberry and Special Fruit strengthen their ambition to be the best in their activity and to be a reference in the soft fruit sector.
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