Blackberries are generally recognised as the smallest player of the four main berry segments. In fact, statistics bear this out and despite there having been almost a doubling in global production of fresh blackberries over the past two decades, the crop still has significant growth opportunities. In most developed global markets, fresh blackberry sales account for 5-10% of the overall berry category, again suggesting room for much greater growth.
One of the buzz phrases in the berry industry over recent years has been “better-tasting blackberries”. This term is attributed to a small number of varieties that can now be found on retailer shelves and that have taken significant market share from traditional cultivars. Many people associate blackberries with a “tangy” flavour that is a result of elevated acidity levels within the berries of these traditional types. The better tasting varieties either have higher levels of sweetness (Brix), lower acidity or both when compared to older cultivars, or indeed wild types of bramble from hedgerows.
At GPG, we are excited to be playing our part in this improvement in the eating quality of blackberries with our variety, Von. Bred at NCSU by Dr. Gina Fernandez, Von blackberry was selected for a range of improved characteristics, including taste, yield, quality, size and shelf-life. Since that stage, Von has been tested and now grown on a commercial scale by growers around the globe.
One of the first proponents of the commercial production of Von for the supply of fresh blackberries to retailers was The Greenery in the Netherlands. The Greenery has an exclusive licence from GPG for Von blackberry production in the Benelux countries. Since their initial tests with the variety where its development potential was first identified, they have put in a huge amount of technical development work with Von. This has led to increased yields over a longer season of supply and the variety is marketed under the company’s premium brand “Sweet and Sunny”. This branding is testament to Von’s excellent flavour and long shelf life.
Von Blackberry open days
Together with The Greenery, GPG hosted two Von Blackberry open days, which had two main areas of focus; nursery production of young plants and long canes as well as commercial fruit production. Those attending the open days were from varying sectors of the blackberry industry and included growers, nurseries, fruit marketing businesses, consultants and researchers. By joining the programmes, each group was able to gain great knowledge of Von and which production methods to employ in order to maximise its potential on a global scale.
Jamie Petchell of GPG said, “Von is certainly at the vanguard of improved eating quality blackberries. We are excited at the prospect of it playing an important role in the growth of the blackberry category on a global scale. For too long, consumers have experienced an inconsistent varietal offer but we are genuinely seeing this reducing quickly as growers and fruit marketing businesses continue to offer better varieties. We have now licensed Von with growers and nurseries in a wide range of growing locations globally and it will be great to see its production continue to increase in the next few years.”
