The 2023 edition of Macfrut, the international trade fair for the fruit and vegetable sector, to be held at the Rimini Expo Centre (Italy) starts today and goes through May 5. The event will offer a comprehensive look at the blueberry sector.

Leading global experts in the field will give speeches at the International Blueberry Days, scheduled as part of the trade fair in Rimini and coordinated by Prof. Bruno Mezzetti of the Marche Polytechnic University in collaboration with Thomas Drahorad of NCX Drahorad, with focus sessions on several countries that are of key importance for this sector, such as Portugal and Australia. 

A full-day symposium on blueberries is scheduled for today, May 3. On this occasion, Pedro Bràs de Oliveira of the Oeiras-based National Institute of Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INAIV) will provide an overview of the situation in Portugal, following a trade mission during which the Symposium was presented in Lisbon at the National Meeting of Blueberry Producers held a few weeks ago. 

Related articles: Commercial expansion of Peruvian blueberries has boosted its export volumes

He explains: “Diversifying production throughout the season is generally preferable as this can boost the profitability of commercial farms and allows them to supply the market for a longer period of time. The easiest way to achieve this goal is to use cultivars that can be grown at different times of the year, i.e. earlier or later in the year, or change the conditions to which the plants are exposed by using artificial coverings such as polyethylene coverings or shade nets.”

 Maurizio Rocchetti, senior horticulturist at Costa Group, Australia’s largest blueberry producer, will also give a speech where he will explain how blueberries are grown in Australia. 

Rocchetti explains that “Costa’s blueberries are grown in Australia in four different states and at five different latitudes on approximately 480 hectares. Having various farming regions enables Costa to meet demand all year round. In addition, several varieties of blueberries are grown, which allows us to adapt production to all kinds of environmental conditions, and most of the blueberries produced are of the premium “Arana” cultivar that was developed by Costa.” 

Participants will also learn about different experiences in the field of blueberry production from producers coming from Chile, Italy, Poland, the UK, the USA, and Turkey.