Earth Market, the variety and licensing subsidiary, has given Agrovision, a global berry producer and year-round supplier, extensive European growing and marketing rights for Pink Star, its new premium raspberry.

Pink Star is a new portfolio from renowned French breeding company Marionnet Label. With a superior genetic taste range and proven technological prowess, Marionnet Label is well known for its market-leading high-flavour strawberry varieties Mariguette, Marvella, and Magnum. The Pink Star raspberry is already enjoying similar quality recognition, with a 2-star flavor certification at Brussels’ International Taste Institute in May 2023.

Characteristics

The collaborative partnership will focus on applying advanced techniques and infrastructures to produce Pink Star varieties at scale throughout the 52-week calendar. 

Created with efficient crop management in mind, the varieties are ideal for year-round production. What’s more, they extend and strengthen a legacy of over 100 years of experience, passed down to the current team of breeders at Marionnet’s Centre de Recherche et d’Innovation Végétale in Sologne.  

“It’s really exciting, and a genuine privilege for Agrovision to be partnering with such acclaimed breeders as Marionnet Label and their colleagues at Earth Market. Agrovision has always coveted the highly competitive raspberry market, and the commercial trials of Pink Star varieties at Agrovision’s newly constructed Morocco farms have delivered really encouraging results – both in terms of quality-to-market and supply continuity. Planting is now underway in Morocco in both primocane and longcane formats, ready for harvesting from November 2023 to May 2024,” says Steve McVickers, chief commercial officer of Agrovision Corp.

This new partnership with Earth Market, complemented by Agrovision’s fully integrated supply chains, will ensure Pink Star meets customer and consumer expectations regarding quality and taste consistency – across European markets and all year round. 

“We are thrilled to officially launch the Pink Star program. At Earth Market, we are dedicated to understanding each raspberry variety and its ideal growing environment. The knowledge we gain through this commitment has allowed us to develop tailored technological growing approaches and solutions for our growing partners,” says Willian Muñoz Cadena, head of business development of Earth Market.

“Agrovision is a fully integrated berry supplier and the fastest-growing global grower. Equipped to produce all year round, it has built a highly skilled and experienced team, ensuring Earth Market can approach this venture as a genuine and powerful partnership. Working closely together with fully aligned objectives, we look forward to releasing the immense potential of Marionette's genetics throughout Pink Star varieties,” adds Muñoz.