UC Davis enters new international strawberry licensing agreements

The University of California, Davis, has reached new agreements to license more than a dozen of its world-renowned strawberry varieties to growers in countries across the world.

These strawberry plants are part of the research collection of some 1,700 strawberry plants managed by the UC Davis Public Strawberry Breeding Program. (Courtesy/UC Davis)

The agreements ensure that nurseries and fruit growers in Mexico, South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East have access to all available varieties developed by the UC Davis Public Strawberry Breeding Program.

Strawberry plant varieties developed at UC Davis produce about 60% of all strawberries consumed around the world.

UK-based Global Plant Genetics, or GPG, will add 15 legacy varieties of UC Davis strawberry plants to its existing portfolio in China, South America, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. GPG, which has been a UC Davis master licensee since 2018, already oversees licensing of a dozen of the more recently developed UC Davis varieties in those markets.

Fresa Fortaleza, or F2, is the new master licensee for the legacy varieties in Mexico. Since 2020, the San Diego-based company has been the master licensee in Mexico for the more recently developed UC Davis varieties.

Earlier this year, UC Davis severed ties with former master licensee Eurosemillas as to these legacy varieties.

″We are pleased to have expanded our agreements with GPG and Fresa Forteleza,″ said Helene Dillard, dean of the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. ″We appreciate the shared commitment to maintaining outstanding relationships with our nurseries and growers and providing vigorous support for the UC Davis Public Strawberry Breeding Program.″

The new agreements cover:

• The European Union, Switzerland and the United Kingdom

  
  

• Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay

  
  

• China

  
  

• Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Turkey.

The UC Davis Public Strawberry Breeding Program seeks to address the needs of growers by developing strawberries for positive characteristics including greater yield, flavor, disease resistance, and adaptation to different growing conditions. The university directly licenses strawberry varieties to nurseries in Canada and the U.S.and offers California strawberry growers a competitive advantage through exclusive access to new varieties for two years and reduced royalty rates.

The program, funded primarily by revenue from licensing strawberry varieties, also trains students and postdoctoral researchers to be leaders in the field.