More than 50 industry professionals from 11 countries attended the Gil Program Annual Event at G-Berries, an experimental station and plant nursery owned by Luca and Matteo Molari. The event took place in Cesena, Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region, and it marked the launch of a new raspberry variety named G-Viva. “This variety is suited to areas with a warm climate,” explained Matteo Molari. “Such areas include southern Italy, southern Spain, southern Portugal, Morocco, and Mexico, to name a few major growing regions. It is the first raspberry variety patented in Cesena by our group.”
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© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.com
Representatives from across the supply chain attended the September 2 event, including farmers, technicians, and representatives from several retail chains. “The event was designed primarily for Gil Program members, but we opened it up to other interested stakeholders.”
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© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.comMatteo and Luca Molari
Growers appreciate this highly productive, reflowering variety’s potential yield of up to 28 tons per hectare in the double cycle. It ripens early, reaching maturity 90 days after transplanting.
This variety’s extended shelf life is particularly noteworthy because winter production allows for a higher price, but the product is intended for export, so it must maintain its texture and flavor longer. We have conducted numerous commercial dynamic storage trials, demonstrating that the variety has a shelf life of over ten days.
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“It is a very dry variety that can be grown in various ways and serves an interesting market segment. Another sought-after aspect is its color. G-Viva retains its light color for several days, which is what retailers prefer.”
Where does G-Viva come from?
Between 2018 and 2019, Gilberto Molari started a raspberry breeding program in Cesena. Then, in early 2022, his sons, Matteo and Luca Molari, launched the Gil Program. With investments in the new Cerchia 2 R&D center in Cesena and a dedicated team, the company has launched its first proprietary raspberry variety worldwide.
For more information:
G-Berries srl
Via Carlo Cattaneo, 617
Cesena (FC) – Italy
[email protected]
www.gberries.it