Mastronardi Produce says it has acquired full and exclusive North American rights in Mastronardi BerryWorld America from its partner, BerryWorld Group.
The joint venture between Mastronardi and BerryWorld Group originally formed in 2018. The partnership provided access to BerryWorld’s high-flavor proprietary berry varieties and was aimed at leveraging Mastronardi’s expertise in greenhouse growing and BerryWorld’s extensive berry breeding and marketing capabilities to enhance the production and distribution of premium berries in North America, according to a news release.
Both parties are excited to continue the relationship, which will provide Mastronardi Produce continued access to the BerryWorld breeding program to further develop the North American berry category, the release said.
“Our partnership with the BerryWorld Group over the past five years has allowed us to deliver exceptional berries to the North American market,” said Paul Mastronardi, president and CEO of Mastronardi Produce. “Access to these premium varieties through this association with BerryWorld has played a crucial role in establishing Mastronardi Produce as an emerging player in the North American berry market.”
In connection with the buyout, Mastronardi Produce says it will continue to hold exclusive rights to market all premium berry proprietary varieties in North America that were previously licensed to Mastronardi BerryWorld America, in addition to all future high-flavor propriety berries developed under such licenses. This extends over all four berry categories including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.
“This acquisition allows the BerryWorld Group to dedicate its resources to researching and developing premium, high-flavor varieties market while enabling Mastronardi to concentrate on their advanced grower network and leading marketing capabilities,” said David Gray, president for BerryWorld Group.
Mastronardi Produce and BerryWorld Group look forward to continuing to build a long-term sustainable collaborative relationship, the release said.
