2 New Premium Raspberry Varieties
While many growers are pulling out raspberry canes as traditional varieties have become uneconomical due high picking costs and low yields, the team at Angus Soft Fruits has been investing in new raspberry varieties, which have high yields, fast pick rate and big, sweet berries.
On Wednesday 31st July Angus Soft Fruits opened its doors for the launch of two new raspberries under the AVA brand: AVA™ Monet and AVA™ Dali. So named because they are, "works of art!" These varieties, bred over years of trials and development, represent a significant breakthrough in raspberry cultivation, offering high quality, yield, and sustainability.
The main objective behind the development of AVA™ Monet and AVA™ Dali was to meet the diverse needs of growers, retailers, and consumers both domestically in the UK and internationally. With a focus on premium quality, these varieties have been crafted to deliver exceptional taste, appearance, and shelf life.
The event was attended by the Scottish Minister for Agriculture and Communication Jim Fairlie, who applauded the world class breeding program at Angus Soft Fruits. Saying that AVA Monet and Dali were a testament to the expertise in the sector.
John Gray, Managing Director of Angus Soft Fruits commented "AVA™ Monet and AVA™ Dali are fantastic varieties which gives us a win win; being ideally suited to our growing conditions in both our domestic and international farms and also delivering our customers great tasting, consistently sweet berries with great shelf life."
Lucy Wilkins, Breeding Programme Director, said, "These varieties offer a fantastic opportunity to our growers at a time when growing raspberries has been increasingly challenging. These varieties offer higher yields whilst also meeting very high-quality requirements giving them additional market opportunities with their fruit. This is also a benefit for our retailers who will be able to sell these varieties, giving consumers a treat that is; indeed, a work of art!"
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Currently, Angus Soft Fruits are undergoing trials across Europe and Northern Africa and aim to achieve year-round production of AVA™ Monet and AVA™ Dali, ensuring continuity of supply. Additionally, promising results from organic trials hint at further potential.