EVENTI

The berry assortment in Turin (Italy) was characterised at the time of the survey by low prices for blueberries and raspberries, with blueberries available in different weight sizes. Blackberries were on offer at generally high prices. Quality in general was average.

The Rubus species are emerging as a promising source of polyphenols and bioactive compounds with nutraceutical and pharmaceutical benefits. However, many edible species within the genus are still underexplored and often undervalued

A British start-up conducted an experiment in 2023: when comparing crops subjected to the SIT technique with those treated with insecticides and monitoring the presence of Drosophila suzukii larvae in raspberries, the results showed an 80% reduction in raspberries treated with the SIT technique.

The success of investments on a blueberry farm relies on strategic goals such as improving yields, enhancing product quality, and optimizing harvesting efficiency. The 12th International Blueberry Conference, themed around "OPTIMIZATION," emphasizes finding the best solutions tailored to each farm.

Hortifrut achieved an exceptional harvest with a super blueberry of the Imperial variety, carefully selected at its production site in Chile. This berry has an impressive diameter of 37.48 millimetres and a weight of 18.38 grams, which is 1.5 times larger than a Chilean one sol coin.

In the large-scale retail trade of Modena (survey 28/02/24) for blueberries prices are generally low, the origin is divided between Chile, Spain, Peru, Morocco, the formats are mainly 125g, the larger ones are few, the quality in general is fair. Numerous brands are on offer on the shelves.

Andrea Pergher, Fall Creek's technical manager, demonstrates in the field how to prune blueberry of the Northern Highbush type in February-March.

The Global Blueberry Price Index of the Italian Berry basket surveyed on 26/02/2024 increased by 2.5 percent compared to the previous week. The index consists of 14 global retail brands, of which 14 had products on offer in the survey of 26/02/2024.

Last year, fewer berries were harvested in Germany. The cultivated area decreased by 0.6% to 9290 hectares and the harvested quantity decreased by 3.7% to 41,400 tonnes. Nevertheless, the harvested quantity corresponds to the average of the last few years.

A North American based consortium, of which Driscoll's is a critical strategic partner, has completed the purchase of Costa Group, Australia’s leading grower, packer and marketer of fresh fruit and vegetables, focusing on specific projects to grow the global berry business.