Given the variety’s potential, Earth Market, its exclusive editor, has selected recognized marketers and set up a distribution network to support the development of the variety and the reputation of the Mariguette® brand. On the 24th of June 2022, Earth Market and its partners - Aquisol, Fruits Rouges du Périgord, Marmandise, Périgord Fruits, Rougeline, Sacfel, Savéol - formalized the constitution of the Mariguette® association, with the following objectives:
- To involve marketers and producers in the continuous improvement of the variety.
- To make the brand known to French consumers.
- To contribute to the development of the production chain of the French elongated strawberry.
First club created for a strawberry variety
The Mariguette is the second elongated French strawberry in terms of volumes behind the Gariguette,” explains Marc-Henri Blarel of Fruits de Valeur. These varieties complement each other because the Mariguette harvest ideally follows that of the Gariguette, which opens the strawberry season. “There have been other varieties similar to the Mariguette, but none ever managed to break through due to a lack of popularity, despite their great qualities. This is the challenge of the association.”
Quality is at the heart of the process, with specifications and a technical committee
“The Mariguette® specifications were written and validated by the association. AIFLG has already carried out more than 200 controls because quality is what gives the Mariguette its place on the market.”
Mastering its quality is essential. The specifications will define the strawberry’s characteristics to be respected by the producers in order to offer regularity in taste to the consumers. A technical committee will be in charge of better understanding the management of the Marionnet 99 variety and to gain knowledge in order to provide technical support to the producers.
“With the desire to always improve, Earth Market also organizes technical rallies to exchange information on cultivation methods. In July, technical days will be organized to exchange information and assess the situation.”
A strawberry that is gaining in popularity
With its elongated shape and orange-red color, the shiny and firm Mariguette is a crunchy and very sweet strawberry. “This variety was first spotted by producers who noted its strong, distinct and very satisfying flavor.” With such taste and technical qualities, the Mariguette® strawberry (COV Marionnet 99) has been seducing more and more consumers.
Long shelf life
In addition to its great taste, the Mariguette® also has a very good shelf life. This is important because on the strawberry market, “10% of the trays tend to be rejected at the entrance of the platform and 10% when they reach the stores, which represents quite a substantial amount of food waste in strawberries. And the Mariguette has a good shelf life, so it offers the prospect of greater profitability thanks to a lower rate of breakage at the distributor.”
For more information:
Marc-Henri Blarel
Phone: 07 82 47 37 58
association@mariguette.com