Plant breeder and seed company Elsoms enters UK strawberry market

Plant breeder and seed company Elsoms, based in Spalding, is entering the soft fruit sector with three new everbearing strawberry varieties. These are procured from Dutch breeder ABZ Seeds. The two companies have signed an exclusive distribution agreement, with Elsoms marketing the Soraya, Estavana and Rowena varieties in the UK.

The three varieties are all F1 hybrids and have been trialled by Elsoms over the last two years. The new varieties will be grown from seed at Elsoms’ facilities.

“We’re pleased to be able to introduce more variety choice into the soft fruit market,” Justin Solly, head of vegetable sales at Elsoms told hortnews.com. “With these new varieties grown directly from seed, we know that we can deliver a healthier, more resilient option to the market.”

Seed specialist Claire Taylor: “We’ve had large trials of Estavana from seed in the UK over the last two years. Trials of Estavana placed against the standard commercial variety, which is grown from runners, has shown a high level of performance that resulted in beautiful fruits supported by a strong and healthy plant.”