A new blueberry variety is about to enter the commercial market, promising to raise the quality bar in the Northern Highbush segment. It is called Highland Charm and is the result of a decade of research and experimentation carried out by the James Hutton Institute in Scotland, in collaboration with strategic partners in the Netherlands (Schrijnwerkers Plants BV), Ukraine (Dolyna-Agro), Australia (Perfection Fresh) and Chile (Grupo Hijuelas).
A global project for a new variety
Highland Charm is the first Northern Highbush blueberry to emerge from the Scottish breeding program. It was born from the shared ambition to create a cultivar that combines agronomic resilience, high productivity and premium taste, thus meeting the new demands of the global market.
“In addition to excellent fruit quality, this variety produces large berries, in loose clusters, with a sweet flavor and vibrant color, ideal both for local consumption and export,” said Oleg Bazyuk of Dolyna-Agro, one of the project’s funders.
Quality, collaboration and adaptability
According to Leon Schrijnwerkers (Schrijnwerkers Plants BV), Highland Charm is the result of intense synergy between partners: “We worked for years to achieve an outstanding variety, with winning traits in terms of flowering, fruit structure, taste, texture and shelf life.”
Jamie Smith, from the James Hutton Institute, adds: “This cultivar represents a modern vision of the blueberry: it combines reliable agronomic performance with superior flavor in a single variety.”
Agronomic trials in the UK, European Union and Ukraine have confirmed the remarkable adaptability of the new variety to different growing environments. The berries stand out for their generous size, resilience, and a balanced sugar-acid profile that delivers a full and rewarding taste experience.
A response to global challenges
The arrival of Highland Charm, expected by the end of summer 2025, comes at a time when producers face changing climatic conditions and growing consumer demand for blueberries with intense, distinctive flavor.
“The variety has shown excellent agronomic behavior and a flavor that stands out for its balance and intensity,” confirmed breeder Dr. Susan McCallum, head of the blueberry breeding program at the James Hutton Institute.
A new standard for the future
Highland Charm is a new variety which summarizes a new vision of the future of cultivated blueberries: a concrete response to the needs of a supply chain increasingly focused on quality, sustainability and consumer satisfaction.
Text and image source: media.licdn.com - konferencjaborowkowa.pl
