Around 260 attendees from 12 countries met at Planasa’s R&D centre in Cartaya, Huelva, on Tuesday for the second edition of the company’s Meet & Greet event.
“Visitors included technicians, producers, marketers, and buyers from some of Europe’s leading retailers, solidifying the event as a key meeting point for leading players in the international soft fruit industry,” Planasa said.
During the day, attendees had the opportunity to tour Planasa’s trial fields to learn firsthand about the company’s breeding programmes for strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. The event also included a series of presentations highlighting new trends and developments in each berry segment.
The programme began with Alfonso Lopez, head of product strawberry, who presented ‘The future of the strawberry’, addressing trends and opportunities in the development of new varieties. Next, Lourdes Fojo, head of product rubus, spoke about ‘The future of rubus, highlighting innovations in raspberries and blackberries, including thornless varieties such as Black Rainier and Black Iguazú, and how these innovations respond to the demands of producers and markets.
The session concluded with Hans Liekens, global head of marketing & Innovation, who delivered a presentation entitled ‘The Future of Blueberry’, sharing Planasa’s global vision for growth and innovation in this crop, with a portfolio led by Blue Madeira, Blue Maldiva and Blue Manila, varieties that he said continue to demonstrate excellent adaptability under different conditions worldwide.
For the first time, the Meet & Greet included a roundtable discussion entitled ‘Segmentation in the berry category: the role of innovative breeding’, featuring industry experts such as Andero Keronen of No Bananas, David Buxcey of Angus Soft Fruits, and Ben Maes of Special Fruit, who discussed varietal innovation and segmentation strategies in the international berry market.
“The Meet & Greet once again established itself as a key meeting and networking space, facilitating the exchange of knowledge among the various links in the soft fruit value chain,” Planasa said.
“The day provided an opportunity to strengthen relationships, share experiences, and analyse the trends shaping the sector’s evolution internationally.”
To round of the day, attendees enjoyed a spectacular drone show.
