A Scottish variety of raspberry, which didn’t much like the climate at home, has become a major success in the sunny weather of Spain.

The Glen Lyon raspberry now accounts for more than 50 per cent of the crop in Andalusia. It’s also helping to fill the shelves in British supermarkets during the winter.

The UK is experiencing a “berry bonanza”, with sales of raspberries alone last year up by 26%. Glen Lyon was bred by scientists at SCRI in Invergowrie, Scotland’s leading centre for research on crops. Although not a big success with domestic growers, the Spanish farmers can’t get enough of the variety.

Twenty-two Spanish companies, accounting for 380 hectares of farmland, have signed a deal with Mylnefield Research Services Ltd., the commercial subsidiary of SCRI. Income from the agreements could soon top a quarter of a million pounds.

Some of the UK’s biggest supermarket chains have also been involved in the deal, ensuring that their winter stocks of raspberries come from properly licensed Spanish growers.

Nigel Kerby, the Managing Director of MRS Ltd. said: “The growers who have signed agreements with us will now be able to buy disease free stocks of Glen Lyon raspberries.”

Dr Kerby went on: “It also means the Spanish farmers will have access to new cultivars from the Scottish raspberry breeding programme that are better adapted to Spanish growing conditions.”

“We are delighted that Spanish growers recognise the importance of protected, plant varieties,” he said.

Rex Brennan, Leader of the Soft Fruit Group at SCRI, said: “Hopefully this is the start of a great, collaborative relationship with the Spanish industry. It may be that their growers can benefit from the new varieties that will come along in future years.”

The Director of SCRI is Professor Peter Gregory. He commented: “These agreements - with more than 20 significant, Spanish fruit growers - are a major step forward for Mylnefield Research Services.”

“It means that varieties developed and bred at Invergowrie are reaching the UK consumer and that royalties from the sales can be channelled back in to new, disease-resistant varieties.”

“I’m very pleased that Scottish expertise is being recognised and rewarded in the global marketplace,” said Professor Gregory.

In recent years, sales of raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and blackcurrants have gone through the roof. In the last year, sales reached £204 million in the UK.

Sales of raspberries went up by 26% to £35 million. Their popularity is credited to an increasing public appetite for healthy food. SCRI, based at Invergowrie near Dundee, has teams of scientists working on food quality, health and nutrition. Other researchers at the centre are now part of the battle to understand the effects of climate change.