Sun Belle, Giddings Mexico enter long-term partnership for berries

Schiller Park. Ill.-based Sun Belle and Giddings Fruit Mexico have agreed to a long-term exclusive marketing and distribution deal.

“This new strengthened relationship between our two companies further integrates the work of Giddings Mexico and Sun Belle at all levels, from top management to sales, logistics and, most importantly, varietal innovation and development,” Patricio Cortes, general manager and co-founder of Giddings Mexico, said in a news release.

Giddings grows organic and conventional berries in Michoacán, Jalisco, Guanajuato and Sinaloa, and the organization has extensive nurseries and breeding programs.

Sun Belle markets berries year-round, mostly under the Sun Belle and Green Belle brands. The company has distribution centers in Oxnard, Calif., Jessup, Md., Schiller Park and Miami.

“The agreement has formally consolidated the varietal development programs both companies have been pursuing during the past 13 years,” Janice Honigberg, president and founder of Sun Belle, said in the release. “We have brought together agreements with major university and private geneticists in the U.S. and Europe, as well as Giddings’ own varietal development programs. 

“Our goal is to bring fabulous varieties to market to delight the consumer,” Honigberg said. “To that end we carefully evaluate many attributes, including beauty, taste, mouth feel, size, shelf life, productivity and ease of harvesting, plant health and resistance to disease.”

One new variety developed by Giddings and which Sun Belle will soon be marketing is the Aketzali blackberry. Giddings has nearly 800 acres of conventional and 100 acres of organic in production, with “very good quantities” of the variety expected through the end of May. Honigberg described the Aketzali as having excellent flavor and appearance and presenting fewer growing and shipping challenges than earlier varieties.

“The Aketzali is a very sweet blackberry with good size and little regression,” Cortes said. “It is an excellent alternative to the Tupy variety, which we pioneered together starting in 2003.  While the Tupy is no longer a productive variety, it established Mexico as the largest blackberry grower and shipper in the world.”

Sun Belle supplies retail, foodservice, wholesale and club customers in North America, Asia and Europe.

“Bringing excellent quantities of Aketzali to market this spring is just the beginning of closer work between Sun Belle and Giddings in developing and marketing other superb blackberry, raspberry, blueberry and strawberries varieties next season and in seasons to come,” Honigberg said in the release.