The International Pear Congress will take place on 26 and 27 June 2024 in Óbidos, Portugal. Only two weeks are left before the start of the event. As registrations end on Monday 17th organisers are finishing off every detail to welcome participants and make sure to provide highly interesting content.
Interpera's conference day on 27th June will include international agriculture experts. In the morning, the first panel will gather representatives from the main European pear-producing countries to review the past campaign and unveil the first harvest forecasts. The congress will then focus on consumption. Trends for pears having evolved, reflecting changing consumer preferences towards health, convenience, and sustainability, a presentation will be dedicated to the best ways to communicate pear value.
The discussion will then move on to a second panel with the challenges facing the sector. First, an EU perspective will review current policies and regulations with an emphasis on the consequences of climate change. The following speakers will focus on water and soil. Participants will be presented a highly efficient water treatment technology that restores salt-saturated soils and allows to irrigate with saline water.
Later, the importance of soil health will be illustrated by an explanation of the microbiome, this complex community of micro-organisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microscopic life forms, that inhabit the soil environment. They play crucial roles in the ecosystem.
Interpera's third panel will delve on the orchard of the future. Starting with the BioFago project that will present a natural and environmentally friendly antibacterial agent (biopesticide) to mitigate the Fire blight.
The last session of this panel will mention the ideal production combination for the future: varieties that resist pests and diseases, mechanisation with adapted pruning, thinning, etc; and an efficient use of water.
ANP and AREFLH, this year's Interpera organisers, are honoured to announce that famous CNN Portugal TV host Sara Sousa Pinto will be presenting the conference. Her charisma promises to enhance the event and to bring dynamism to all the sessions.
Interpera will include technical visits on 26th Jun, to orchards and a research centre in the Oeste region, the birthplace of Pera Rocha production. Registration closes on Monday evening 17th June. Go to the Interpera programmes and the ticket platform.
For more information:
Interpera
www.interpera.org