U.S.-based SunnyRidge Farm and Chilean company Viverosur have joined forces to license production of a new raspberry variety in Mexico.

The pair will partner with several Mexican farms to grow the Italian-developed Amira variety, which has received high ratings in taste, size and quality from several European retailers.

Viverosur, which is also the largest in vitro producer of Gisela cherry rootstocks, holds exclusive rights for the variety in the Americas.

Viverosur director Alejandro Navarro says Amira was created by cross-breeding the Polka and Tulameen varieties over two generations.

He says it has a good shelf life and keeps for three to four days without letting off juice, while in ideal conditions this timeframe can be spread to two or three weeks.

Farmers have also reported the berry is easier to break off the trees and can be collected with both hands like the Heritage variety.

Navarro says Mexico will be a perfect fit for Amira raspberries.

"We are excited to begin this new venture with SunnyRidge Farm. The Amira variety has proven very successful in other regions with similar weather patterns as Mexico," he says.

SunnyRidge Farm CEO Keith Mixon says the move is part of the company's investment focus in Mexico's rapidly growing raspberry industry.

"This agreement with Viverosur to produce the Amira variety, along with our existing proprietary blueberry variety licenses, allows us to complete our genetic offering of high quality berries from Mexico. We are very excited and look forward to a very successful upcoming Mexican berry season," he says.

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