EVENTI

Fruit Attraction caught the berry inustry at a difficult time due to the severe shortage of Peruvian blueberries. However, this did not dampen the overall mood of visitors and exhibitors, who found the Madrid event very interesting and stimulating.

The 2023 edition of Fruit Attraction was a success both in terms of the quantity of attendees and the quality of the established connections. Companies specializing in berries attracted significant traffic to Hall 9. Italy's berry industry was primarily represented by nurseries and breeders.

The Blueberry Committee of Chile - Asoex, in collaboration with iQonsulting, has released estimates of fresh blueberry exports for the 2023-2024 season. The projection shows a 6% decrease from the previous year, while a 10% growth is expected for frozen blueberries.

Liu Wen, district administrator of the China district of the Modern Channel Northern Business Unit of the Golden Wing Mau Group, said in a media interview that the new PeachyBlue variety is a mid-season blueberry variety that has recently been in production.

Berries are increasingly seen as a reference, 'differentiating' category, an example also for other fruit and vegetable references. Something significant has certainly happened in recent years. Interview with Pier Luigi Lauriola, national fruit and vegetable manager of Carrefour Italy.

Download for free the latest issue of Italian Berry Magazine, the six-monthly magazine with all the latest data on Italian berries consumption and the most interesting news on the world of berries.

It is estimated that in the 2023-2024 season, shipments of fresh blueberries will reach a total volume of 256,481 tonnes (226,434 tonnes of conventional blueberries and 30,047 tonnes of organic blueberries), a decrease of -10% compared to the 2022-2023 season.

On Tuesday, 26 September, the 'Gil Program Annual Event' was held at G-Berries in Cesena. The all-day event was a meeting opportunity for operators and experts in the berries sector with a full programme dedicated entirely to varietal development.

Blackberries are a year-round source of money for the industry. Retail sales amount to £1.7 billion per year, while berries as a whole will contribute £3.18 billion to the British economy over the next five years.

The free downloadable report (62 pages) includes the data collected over the past 12 months by Italian Berry through the Berry Retail Monitor, the Online Retail Monitor and the semi-annual GfK - Italian Berry report on consumption and purchasing behaviour of Italian households.