Italy will be the world capital of blueberry in May 2023 thanks to a four-day event that will bring together top technical-scientific experts, global players and international opinion leaders in Rimini. This is the first time in Europe that blueberry is the subject of such an extensive and in-depth event.
Appointment at Macfrut from Wednesday, May 3, to Friday, May 5, with International Blueberry Days, with a study overture (Blueberry School) reserved for young researchers at the Università Politecnica delle Marche scheduled for May 2. A symbolic fruit of the fair's 40th edition, the event is organized by Macfrut under the coordination of Professor Bruno Mezzetti of Marche Polytechnic University together with Thomas Drahorad of NCX Drahorad.
After the great success of Italian Berry Day which was held in Rimini in 2021, the protagonist of the 2023 event will be the blueberry, the main small fruit globally, growing in production and consumption so much so that it registered +35% globally, as well as an increase in consumption of +9.7% in the last year in our country.
The focus of International Blueberry Days at Macfrut opens on Wednesday, May 3, with the Symposium that will address the main scientific issues (genetics, nursery, nutrition, cultivation techniques, nutritional and biomedical aspects) in the presence of the world's leading experts.
The day on Thursday, May 4, is dedicated to Global players, which will include the U.S. Driscoll's, number one in nursery and fruit production, and Australia's Costa Group, a leader in breeding in the production of blueberry. The day will shine a spotlight on market trends and production trends, presenting case histories of top players from major production areas including Peru, Chile, Spain, Poland, the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Africa.
The last day, Friday, May 5, will feature visits to a trial field set up at the dynamic area at the fair (Blueberry On Field), led by technicians and experts. The indoor demonstration field will be an opportunity to demonstrate to the professional audience the main innovations in the field: varieties, pots, substrates, covers and fertigation systems, and everything needed to put in place modern and sustainable production.
"The development and diffusion of new varieties and the introduction of new cultivation techniques are promoting the wide diffusion of blueberry cultivation in different areas of the world, increasing the interest of consumers attracted by better quality and offers for continuous periods of the year," explains Bruno Mezzetti of the Università Politecnica delle Marche. " However, the race for quality blueberry is not so easy to pursue, as knowledge and technical skills are needed. The 'Blueberry school' and the 'Blueberry Days' at Macfrut aim to create a unique moment of confrontation between researchers, technicians and operators of the sector on all aspects concerning the production chain of blueberry in the world."
Concurs with this path Thomas Drahorad president of NCX Drahorad and managing director of Italian Berry: "The International Blueberry Days program aims to analyze the complex and dynamic global reality of blueberry. Over the past 5 years, the international map of producing countries and supply schedules have changed profoundly on the one hand, and per capita spending and geographic distribution of consumption on the other. The new landscape is composed of new producers, new consumers and new markets that are moving through incisive varietal renewal, toward organoleptic qualities, shelf-life and superior agronomic characteristics. All this will be represented in the rich conference and meeting program of blueberries industry professionals from all over the world who will meet in Rimini."
