The blueberry supply chain will be in the spotlight of the Macfrut Academy, the innovative training platform sponsored by Macfrut, the international trade fair for the fruit and vegetable sector, which will take place in Rimini from 6 to 8 May 2025.
On Thursday 28 November at 5 pm (Italian time), the first of two video lessons will be held on one of the most dynamic products in the global fruit and vegetable sector.
The video lesson will look at the main issues surrounding this small fruit: from variety innovation to farming techniques, as well as crop protection against pests and protection from the elements, with a particular focus on Mediterranean countries, especially Italy, Spain and Morocco.
Blueberry supply chain and global cultivation
The global cultivation area has doubled in the last decade, from 115,000 hectares in 2014 to 262,000 hectares in 2023.
This increase has been even more pronounced in Europe and the Mediterranean region, with the EMEA region showing a significant increase from 13,000 hectares to 57,000 hectares.
The key players are Spain (5,500 hectares), Morocco (4,300 hectares), Portugal (2,620 hectares) and Italy (1,580 hectares).
The video lesson is free upon registration: https://academy.macfrut.com/
This growth trend is being driven by market demand, in which variety innovation and technology are playing a key role.
In particular, variety innovation has made it possible to develop blueberry farming in the Mediterranean basin.
Blueberry varieties can be divided into Southern Highbush, which requires fewer chilling hours and is therefore also suitable for warm-climate production areas, and Northern Highbush, which requires more chilling hours.
Southern blueberry production starts earlier than that of northern varieties, due to the fact that the regions in which they are cultivated benefit from more daylight hours and a more favourable climate.
RELATED NEWS: Macfrut: varietal innovation and certified quality
This video lesson, based on the experience of Vivai Molari, explores variety research and how it is applied in plant nurseries.
New video lesson online
Finally, the video lesson features a module on blueberry micropropagation, which also covers all the stages involved in plant nursery activities, including planting blueberry plants.
In this regard, it is becoming increasingly crucial to cover and protect the plants, not only from harmful insects and pathogens, but also to adjust sunlight exposure and temperature.
