Berry Blue and University of Florida Sign Research Agreement; Brad Moorer and Patricio Munoz Comment
GRAND JUNCTION, MI - An exciting partnership was formed between Berry Blue, an MBG Marketing company, and the University of Florida Blueberry Breeding Program. Through this partnership, the two entities will research and develop new and proprietary late-season southern highbush blueberry varieties.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the University of Florida Blueberry Breeding Program,” said Brad Moorer, President/Chief Executive Officer of Berry Blue and MBG Marketing. “Their expertise in blueberry breeding has been tremendously influential in the industry. We are excited to bring together our collective breeding efforts and technology to deliver transformative cultivars to MBG growers.”
This collaboration will bring together the expertise of both organizations to create unique blueberry varieties that are not currently available in the market for late May and June.
As noted in the release, the University of Florida Blueberry Breeding Program has a long history of developing successful blueberry cultivars, and Berry Blue is committed to uniting the combined expertise of both breeding programs and bringing these innovative cultivars to blueberry growers.
“This multi-year, multi-million-dollar investment into new varieties further validates the commitment that MBG growers/owners have made to innovating for the future of the berry category,” stated Moorer. “This will be a ground-breaking advancement of southern highbush blueberries. Together, we will deliver the highest quality, best tasting berries to retailers and consumers around the world.”
Through this partnership, the two organizations will work together to develop blueberry varieties that not only have enhanced agronomic traits, but also improved consumer appeal. MBG will leverage the results of this partnership between Berry Blue and the University of Florida Blueberry Breeding Program in its already highly successful southeastern blueberry program it sells under the Naturipe brand.
“When Brad approached me about this project, I got very excited about the possibility of extending the work we have been doing for Florida growers. In this project, we will leverage our expertise and germplasm to breed blueberry varieties with high yield and ideal fruit characteristics,” said Patricio Munoz, Blueberry Breeder at the University of Florida. “These efforts will complement the work we have been doing and [will] continue doing in Florida. This means we will use the new funding to develop cultivars for the window after the Florida season. We would not be able to do this work if it was not for the support of Berry Blue and MBG.”
More delicious varieties are definitely in store, so keep an eye out for the latest updates from ANUK.
