The Casa Colón hosted first edition of the Red Fruits Congress on 24 and 25 June; it was an initiative from the Cajasol Research Institute and Freshuelva, intended to serve as a forum to discuss the present and future of berry production in the Spanish province of Huelva and to agree on common objectives and lines of development.
PLANASA, leader in the production and improvement of strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and blackberry varieties, opened the space devoted to business presentations and gave a lecture on plant and variety innovation. Iván Leache, commercial director, and Miguel Ángel Hidalgo, director of R&D, explained the company's objectives and trends in their varietal programmes.
Leache presented an overview of PLANASA's business worldwide. The company, which has subsidiaries in France, Italy, Poland, Chile, Mexico and California, has nearly 1,000 employees and its turnover amounts to 76 million Euro. The commercial director said the company continues to grow and has recently purchased a new nursery in Aguilar de Campo to be able to supply a superior quality plant.
Hidalgo's presentation focused on strawberry research programmes in which they have been working since 1985 and on how market demand has led the firm to diversify its research and development programmes for other berries, such as raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. Within the current strawberry programme, Hidalgo highlighted the Safari variety for its earliness and its ability to maintain Brix levels. He recommended the Sabrina and Sahara to those seeking increased production and, of course, stressed the excellence of the Sabrosa-Candonga.
No doubt, the news that created the most vibe was when the two leaders announced that one of PLANASA's objectives is to promote research to obtain an off-season strawberry variety with features to facilitate its harvesting.
After the conference, PLANASA offered the audience a delicious lunch in one of the rooms of the exhibition, at which time they were able have a relaxed chat with their customers and address their concerns and advice. Trade visits continued during the two intense days of the Congress in the double stand arranged by the company in the main courtyard the Casa Colón.
More information:
Leonor Pinós
PLANASA
Ctra. San Adrián, km 1,
Valtierra, Navarra, Spain.
T. +34 948 867 700+34 948 867 700
planasa@planasa.com
www.planasa.com