International Strawberry Congress

The third International Strawberry Congress took place last week and was hosted by Coöperatie Hoogstraten cv in Antwerp, Belgium. The theme of the congress was ‘Strawberries on Demand’ which provided a particular focus on supplying quality fruit to the consumer and exploring innovative technologies to help growers meet rising demand for fruit.

These ranged from utilizing molecular techniques to improve the breeding process to robotic pickers to combat the deficit of seasonal workers. Over 4 million tons of strawberries are produced globally. As we improve our understanding of the health benefits of these fruits, we can expect consumer demand to increase. 

Our knowledge of strawberry cultivation is likewise expending to improve, yields, extend the season and boost berry quality. After a successful congress we are looking forward to being a part of many more years of future growth in the strawberry industry.

– MS