Turkey will be present in Rimini at Macfrut 2023. Among the speakers will be Prof. Ebru Kafkas, one of the world's leading experts on blueberry and a lecturer at Cukurova University in Adana.
Trends in the production and consumption of blueberries are increasing year by year worldwide. Currently, blueberry has become very popular in Turkey due to its large number of phytochemicals, including abundant anthocyanin pigments, which are of great interest for the health of domestic consumers; concurrently, cultivation is growing to also cover the demand coming from Asian and Eastern markets."
Thus Ebru Kafkas a professor at Cukurova University in Adana, Turkey, one of the world's leading experts on blueberry, among the speakers at the Symposium in the upcoming edition of Macfrut that will host International Blueberry Days.
In recent weeks Macfrut 2023 was presented in Turkey at the second edition of the International Conference on Research in Agriculture held at the University of Adana. Presenting the fair, scheduled to take place at the Rimini Expo Center from May 3 to 5, 2023, was Gloria Teodorani of Cesena Fiera.
THE BLUEBERRIES MARKET IN TURKEY
The mission also included a meeting with the rector of Adana University, Meryem Tuncel. On the occasion, Ebru Kafkas outlined the production of blueberry in Turkey.
"According to the results of epidemiological studies, regular, moderate intake of blueberries reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease, death, and type 2 diabetes and improved weight maintenance and neuroprotection," Ebru Kafkas continued. "These findings are supported by biomarker-based evidence from human clinical trials. The blueberries can be consumed either fresh or processed."
"However, domestically produced blueberries are mainly used for the sale of fresh fruit rather than for processing. Only about one-third to one-quarter of the total production is used for jams and, on a small scale, for fruit juices."
The lecturer then broadened her gaze to Turkey. "It isone of the newest countries producing blueberries and its scientific studies and commercial cultivation were recommended by the leadership of Professor Huseyin Celik in 1996, who played an important role in the development of blueberries cultivation in Turkey. The first orchard of blueberries was established by Osman Yildiz and the first plants were imported from Poland."
"At that time, Professor Huseyin Celik did many adaptation trials using blueberries from the north at higher altitudes than the Black Sea region, where pH levels were low. The blueberries are grown commercially along the east-west region of the Black Sea region, some local areas of Marmara and the central part of Anatolia, adopting a raised-bed field cultivation system."
blueberry "Lately, blueberry has been initiated for commercial cultivation in the western part of the Black Sea, the Aegean, the Mediterranean and eastern Turkey using northern, southern and new varieties of blueberries rabbiteye, belonging to the species Vaccinium ashei, now being popularized for their adaptability to warm temperate environments. Turks prefer fresh, large, sweet varieties of blueberries "
