Nova Siri Genetics (NSG), an Italian research and experimentation company for new strawberry varieties and berries, has just signed an exclusive partnership with the two Indian companies "Mahaberry Private Limited” and “8 Berries Farm & Nursery Private Limited”, aimed at marketing, testing and propagation of NSG's strawberry varieties and new selections.
The two companies with a wide network of over 300 plus contract farmers throughout the Indian territory, also owns berry farms in the regions of Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra and Ooty, Tamil Nadu, these regions constitute to 80% of the total country’s strawberry production.Mahaberry Private Limited" will represent NSG & manage the varieties in Central & North India, "8 Berries Farm & Nursery Private Limitedwill cover South India.
Carmela Suriano, EMEA director of NSG, states: “This agreement confirms the potential of our breeding program. Along with the Mediterranean basin, North Africa and South America, the Asian continent also represents an area of great interest for the development of our varieties. NSG's goal is to offer innovative strawberry varieties that can bring competitive advantages to producers globally”.
The agreement provides for the commercial development of NSG varieties, particularly The Melissa strawberry, already present in the Indian market, NSG 203-Marimbella® and NSG 465-Rossetta®, along with the experimentation of the new selections by local producers.
Pillai SrinivasanManaging Director of both Indian companies and exclusive partner of NSG in the Indian territory says: “We and our contract farmers across India are satisfied with NSG's resistant cultivars that ensure abundant production, good flavor and great fruit consistency, look forward to further experiment and develop new varieties in our country. The Melissa strawberry has long been highly appreciated by our growers and Indian consumers because it’s a perfect combination of a premium strawberry with reddish-orange color, exceptionally sweet taste, flavor and great shelf life. This variety has shown excellent adaptation to our soil and climate conditions, and we expect an increase in the share of this cultivar in the coming years”.
Given the excellent results already achieved by strawberry cultivars from the Italian breeding program in India, both the parties feel confident about increasing the presence of NSG varieties. In fact, it is already planned to establish nurseries on site to obtain commercial plants, destined for strawberry producers of the Indian subcontinent.
