Last Wednesday, breeders and nurseries took part in a conference on "The value of innovation in fruit varieties" in which they supplied information about the innovations taking place in the sector.
Antonio Villarroel, General Secretary of Anove, spoke about the current situation of the sector and the problems it is facing, highlighting that only innovation will make it possible to get ahead. Then, Elena Saenz, director of ANOVE, explained to those present what ANOVE and GESLIVE are, outlining their various functions. Of the 1,315 varieties managed by Geslive, 763 are fruit trees. Saenz stressed the importance of making varieties available that meet the needs of the producers.
Miguel Vela, director of the Quality Department of the Spanish Federation of Associations of Fruit and Vegetable Exporters and Producers (FEPEX), presented the work they are doing, focusing on the "Working board for fruit varieties and nursery plants", which has been operative since 2013, working to protect the breeder's rights and offer information on new varieties.
For her part, Victoria Colombo, head of the Plant Nursery Area of MAPAMA, explained the impact of the new "Royal Decree that establishes specific requirements for the production of breeding materials and fruit plants, specific requirements to be met by suppliers and official inspection standards." Following this, the paper "Guaranteeing traceability: National Plan for the Control and Certification of Fruit Tree Nurseries of MAPAMA", was presented by Ms Esther Esteban Rodrigo, Deputy General Director of Agricultural Production Means and the Spanish Office of Plant Varieties (MAPAMA).
The day ended with a debate under the title "The links of a solid chain", moderated by Antonio Villarroel, which included representatives of all the links in the chain: Simó Alegre (breeder); Javier Provedo (nursery-breeder); Chus Verón (nursery); Josep Presseguer (producer); and Esther Esteban (administration).
Josep Presseguer laid special emphasis on the need for breeders and producers to get to know one other and to understand each other, in order to meet the challenges that the sector is facing. Chus Verón discussed the importance of certifications for nurseries and that "it is fundamental to control illegal nurseries, because they endanger the whole sector." Simó Alegre highlighted the importance of innovation, stating that "the breeders survive thanks to innovation, so we must ensure that this takes place." He concluded by stating that "uncontrolled nurseries can become a health threat." For her part, Esther Esteban explained the importance of enforcing a control plan aimed at commercial varieties.
The day was organised by the National Association of Plant Breeders, ANOVE, and counted on the collaboration of FEPEX.
Source: fepex.es
