During the ninth global strawberry symposium, which took place between 1-5 May, 2021, the host of the tenth global strawberry symposium was announced. Yancheng city in Jiangsu stood head and shoulders above the crowd and won the right to host the tenth global strawberry symposium.
"The global strawberry symposium is an initiative of the International Society for Horticultural Science. It is the largest symposium for the global strawberry industry. The symposium is held once in every four years and is therefore dubbed the 'Olympic games of the strawberry industry'." This is according to Zhang Yuntao, director-general of the China branch of the Horticultural Society and chairman of the International Strawberry Symposium China.
Strawberry research team of the Beijing Agricultural Research Institute
"The ninth international strawberry symposium took place in Rimini (Italy) this year. At the same time there was a synchronous activity in Yancheng with the theme "one strawberry, one world".
A dedicated team worked hard to make sure the symposium in Birini was securely live-streamed to participants across the globe. They installed and tested a devoted landline two weeks before the symposium was set to take place. The team in Yancheng also installed specialized equipment with video-conferencing software and enhanced their capacity in anticipation of the symposium. The IT-team was on standby during the symposium to troubleshoot any technological problems that could occur. Their work was particularly important for the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the moment when participants cast their votes," said manager Sun.
Zhang Yuntao, the director-general of the strawberry department of the China Horticultural Society, speaks during the live-stream
China is the largest strawberry producer in the world with more than 50% of the global production volume. Their production volume steadily grows every year, and as the living standards in China rise, so do the levels of plantation technology and plantation management in the Chinese strawberry industry. The influence of the Chinese strawberry industry on the global market only continues to grow stronger.
Symposium location in China
Close to 900 people participated in this symposium, and more than 400 people attended the physical site in Yancheng where the symposium was live-streamed. Following the closing ceremony of the symposium the International Society for Horticultural Science organized another meeting in which the bid for the 10th international strawberry symposium was discussed. After intense competition, the Yancheng bid was voted in. Their proposal for a 'one strawberry, one world'-themed symposium was rewarded, and so Yancheng will organize the 10th international strawberry symposium in 2024.
Yancheng is the main strawberry production area in Jiangsu, and one of the most important strawberry production areas in China. The unique natural conditions in this region are perfectly well suited for strawberry cultivation. Wang Jue, the vice-district chief of Yandu in Yancheng, responded to the successful bid with the following words: "This successful bid represents a significant new phase in the development of the strawberry industry in Yandu. The strawberries of Yandu will make their official debut on the world stage."
For more information:
Sun Jian
E-mail: sjroad@126.com