EVENTI

Costa Group, a global leader in the development of premium blueberry varieties, has hit the record books for developing and growing the world’s heaviest blueberry, according to the official Guinness World Records. The blueberry was picked on November 13, 2023, at Costa’s berry farm in Corindi.

On the shelves of the large-scale retail trade in Padua, generally low prices were observed for berries, particularly blueberries. It was a proud moment for Italy, as the first blueberry of Italian origin was spotted among the various products.

The grower is regularly faced with the choice of which plant material to buy and for strawberries this choice has to be renewed from year to year, identifying the best genetic programme and the best nurseryman for his needs. The evaluation criteria are numerous.

While strawberries are declining by 1%, after years of expansion the area of the other berries - blueberries, raspberries, currants, gooseberries, blackberries - is also slowing down in Italy. In 2023 at national level, the area under small fruit stands at just over 2,500 hectares, i.e. -2% on 2022.

Fondazione E. Mach organises the 10th technical day on berries with the latest updates on Drosophila suzukii, strawberry and blueberry cultivation. The event can be attended in person or via live streaming.

The Summer Berry Company, the largest greenhouse berry producer in the UK, is preparing to offer British strawberries all year round thanks to a green energy solution at its greenhouse site in West Sussex. The company grows strawberries on 26 hectares of greenhouses near Chichester.

Mastronardi Produce, a fourth-generation family business that introduced high-tech greenhouse berries to North America, is pleased to announce that its berry division has joined the prestigious SEKOYA® blueberry platform to elevate its blueberry offering.

The good news is that berries have proven to be extraordinarily resilient to the inflationary wave that hit Italy in 2023. Thus, they have challenged a perception among industry professionals that prices are the real critical factor for the category.

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