The main events of the Polish Blueberry Day took place in Warsaw. The choice of the meeting place was not accidental. Breakfast Market is the most popular open-air shopping and breakfast place in Poland. The growers decided it was just the perfect place to celebrate togetherness and values. Polish Blueberry Day is designed as a celebration for all those who want to live a healthy life and enjoy the quality of Polish food, especially fruit and blueberries.
The signal to start the season was given by 10-month old Staś Pieńko, arguably the youngest blueberry grower in Poland, who was the first person to taste this year’s blueberries. He is a son and grandson of growers from the Lubelskie Voivodeship, a region that accounts for 42% of Polish blueberry production. He had been appointed to open the season in an online vote which got nearly 50,000 people involved in the campaign.
Researchers standing behind the success of Polish horticulture took part in the ceremony as special guests. The Honorary Guests of Polish Blueberry Day were Prof. Małgorzata Korbin, PhD, Director of the Research Institute of Horticulture, and Prof. Stanisław Pluta. Professor Pluta is a member of the Board of the Polish Blueberry Foundation coordinating many social initiatives and educational projects in Poland. The Research Institute of Horticulture is a leading horticultural research centre in Europe.
Its achievements include a number of globally innovative solutions that have made a great contribution to the development of horticulture and the success of Polish blueberries. Prof. Kobrin emphasized the openness of the second generation of Polish growers and their ability to use the knowledge and experience of the pioneers.
The benefits of blueberries were presented by Anna Radowicka - a leading dietician and expert in food quality, human nutrition assessment and public health, a specialist in diets related to civilization diseases. She is highly regarded and popular in Poland for her cooperation with a number of TV stations. Together with the growers, she promoted the benefits of blueberries for consumers of all ages.
The content of the event and its location were aimed at strengthening consumer awareness of the health benefits of blueberries and the quality of fruit supplied by Polish growers.
Consumer education was also taking place on a fanpage run by Polish blueberry growers www.facebook.com/dzienpolskiejborowki.
“The goal is to promote the benefits of blueberries and our success as an industry. We are moving forward because, as you can see, we can work together” says Katarzyna Grzegrzółka-Parafiniuk of the Foundation promoting the health benefits of blueberries in Poland.
Polish Blueberry Day has a nationwide scope. The event in Warsaw was accompanied by a nationwide campaign called Blueberry Weekend, which involved growers’ cooperation with local restaurants to serve the first blueberry dishes, desserts, cocktails and ice cream this year.
This year's harvest in Poland is very promising and, despite the increasing domestic consumption, it is estimated that more than 80% of production will be exported this year.
For more information:
Magdalena Ungeheuer
Tel: +48 501 382 230
dzienpolskiejborowki2017@gmail.com