Spain-headquartered Planasa has developed what it describes as a pioneering hanging tip nursery in Morocco, bringing forward the harvest time while also boosting safety and adaptability to any new-generation plant. 

The berry-focused entity, which also has operations in breeding and fruit production, has been developing new projects for years with the aim of strengthening its presence in Europe. 

On this occasion, this hanging tip nursery will allow the company to serve the market with greater assurance, it said.

“This nursery is innovative in the sector as it has been conceived exclusively and precociously for tip production. It is also excellent quality and creates very healthy plants, which are permanently controlled”, said Hans Obers, Planasa CEO for Northern Europe.

The location of the nursery in Morocco is key to achieving this desired earliness and to ensure the health and quality of the tips, given that the climate in the area avoids phytophthora, a very harmful fungus.

“The dryness of the surroundings guarantees a healthy nursery and high-quality tips,” Obers said.

The company has been made a plethora of acquisitions over the last few years as it undergoes major global expansion, most recently buying a major California strawberry nursery, NorCal.

The acquisition adds to Planasa’s California footprint in the strawberry industry, having established its own nursery in 2011 which company president Alexandre Pierron-Darbonne said was the third-largest in the state.

Another development has been the establishment of a new nursery subsidiary in the Netherlands, which was created this year in a bid to expand further into the northern European market. 

The subsidiary adds to Planasa’s operations in Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Morocco, Chile, Mexico and the U.S.