Planasa hosted the second edition of the Meet & Greet Field Day on March 10 at its R&D center in Cartaya (Huelva), reinforcing this event as a key gathering point for the main players in the international soft fruit industry. The event attracted approximately 260 attendees from 12 countries, including technicians, growers, marketers, and buyers from some of Europe's leading retailers.
© Plantas de Navara S.A. (Planasa)
The initiative drew visitors from the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Morocco, South Africa, Italy, Portugal, the United States, and India, among others, highlighting the company's global presence and leadership in berry development.
© Plantas de Navara S.A. (Planasa)
Throughout the day, attendees could tour Planasa's trial fields and gain firsthand insights into the progress of its breeding programs for strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry.
© Plantas de Navarra S.A. (Planasa)
The day also featured a series of presentations. Alfonso López, Head of Product Strawberry, opened with a talk on "The future of strawberry," focusing on trends and opportunities in developing new varieties. Following that, Lourdes Fojo, Head of Product Rubus, discussed "The future of Rubus," emphasizing recent advancements in raspberries and blackberries, including thornless types like Black Rainier and Black Iguazú, and how these innovations meet the needs of growers and markets.
© Plantas de Navara S.A. (Planasa)
Hans Liekens, the Global Head of Marketing & Innovation, concluded the series of talks with a presentation titled "The future of blueberries," sharing Planasa's global vision for growth and innovation in this product, featuring a portfolio that includes Blue Madeira, Blue Maldiva, and Blue Manila; varieties that continue to demonstrate excellent adaptability across different conditions worldwide.
© Plantas de Navara S.A. (Planasa)
Chris White from Fruitnet moderated the event. A key highlight of this edition was a roundtable titled "Segmentation in the Berry Category: the Role of Innovative Breeding." This session brought together industry experts like Andero Keronen of No Bananas, David Buxcey of Angus Soft Fruits, and Ben Maes of Special Fruit to discuss varietal innovation and segmentation strategies within the global berry market.
© Plantas de Navara S.A. (Planasa)
This year's Meet & Greet reinforced its role as a space for meetings and networking, promoting the exchange of knowledge among the various links in the berry value chain. The day provided opportunities to strengthen relationships, share experiences, and analyze the trends shaping the sector's evolution internationally.
To conclude, attendees enjoyed a spectacular drone show, ending a day characterized by innovation, collaboration, and the sector's international visibility.
© Plantas de Navara S.A. (Planasa)
Planasa thanks all attendees for their presence and interest, as well as the teams involved in organizing the event. With initiatives like the Meet & Greet, the company reaffirms its commitment to varietal innovation, excellence, and collaboration; key pillars for continuing to promote the global development of berries.
© Plantas de Navara S.A. (Planasa)
For more information:
Planasa
www.planasa.com
