Pink and white strawberries to hit store shelves

Two varieties of strawberries, Pink and White, will soon be available on store shelves. Announced at the BerryQuest International 2022 conference, the berries are being fast-tracked to market after a tender was put out by Hort Innovation for their commercialisation.

The fruits are claimed to be aromatic with a distinct appearance, and they’ve been bred specifically for Australia’s growing conditions. The strawberries are the first novel variety developed from a partnership between Hort and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland (DAF QLD).

“Pink and White strawberries are like nothing else on Aussie retail shelves,” said Hort Innovation Chief Executive Brett Fifield. “They’re exceptional, and so they should be. They are the culmination of years of research, field trials, consumer preference testing and industry engagement.”

The White variety has a brilliant white flesh, with red seeds dotting its white and pale pink-hued surface. The Pink strawberries, pictured, have a pink exterior and are also white inside. Both fruits are said to have a sweet flavour and a rich smell.

A partner is now being sought by Hort and DAF QLD in order to commercialise the strawberries and market them to consumers.

DAF QLD project lead Dr Jodi Neal said more than 40% of strawberry fruit sold in Australian retailers had been developed from the research output from the DAF QLD–Hort partnership.

“Over the past 10 years, we have developed 16 strawberry varieties that are bespoke to our Australian growing conditions and consumer palettes,” Neal said. “It is great to see grower adoption of these varieties has grown over the past five years. In 2021, 45% of the national planting was attributable to varieties developed by the program led by DAF QLD.”

The varieties were developed using grower levies and funds from the Australian Government, and co-funded and led by the DAF QLD.

Berries Australia Executive Director Rachel Mackenzie said: “It’s really exciting to see these new varieties reach this stage in the commercialisation process. This is growers’ levy funding coming to life before our eyes.”