The Andalusian company’s vegetable material is reaching a 37.25% share in the plantations in Huelva
At the Sector’s 2nd Strategic Seminars organised by Interfresa, the technical manager of Fresas Nuevos Materiales, Antonio Refoyo Piriz, explained the evolution of the research projects Ovofresa and Freshvar. The first started in 2009 on ‘Obtaining strawberry varieties and selections for the province of Huelva (and similar agro-climatic areas) and Freshvar’, in 2011 on the ‘Selection of strawberry varieties for Andalusia with improved quality and which are rot tolerant’, both with incentives from IDEA and the Technological Corporation of Andalusia.
In just a few years, the company from Andalusia has been capable of introducing strawberry varieties such as ‘Primoris FNM’, Rábida FNM’ and ‘Rociera FNM’, which currently already occupy 37.25% of the plantations and that allow the produce to remain on the European markets for longer and compete with local productions.
Of the three varieties, the most deeply established is Primoris, with a share of around 17%, which is followed by Rábida and Rociera, both with 10 percent. Although the three materials are in full expansion, the company is concentrating its efforts on the Rociera variety, a strawberry that is characterised by its ability to maintain its flavour and sweetness until the end of the cycle, along with its extended shelf life.
Large in size, Rociera is the last of the varieties that has erupted onto the fields of Huelva, currently with over 55 million plants. From the agronomic point of view, Rociera is a strong plant, with long stems that make harvesting easier and with an open architecture that encourages a reduction in the number of plant protection applications.
“The company’s aim lies in guaranteeing producers a product that can maintain a stable, profitable marketing until the end of the campaign,” sources from the company’s sales department explain.
