The berry breeding programs of Fall Creek and Planasa were showcased this year during a joint industry event held on 10 March between Seville and Huelva.
The day began in the morning at the facilities of Fall Creek in Aznalcázar with the Field + Forum, where the Fall Creek Collection and Sekoya programs were presented together. The program then continued in the afternoon at the facilities of Planasa in Cartaya.
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Kevin Murphy moderated the panel discussion titled "Building the future of the blueberry category." The panel included Jaime Sánchez from SanLucar, Lydia Castellanos from Fruitist, and Samuel Rowe from Agroberries. According to the panelists, retail strongly values consistent quality and year-round availability of blueberries, and the category is expected to see significant growth within the snack segment.
Paul Nselel presented the characteristics of the two complementary platforms developed by Fall Creek, Fall Creek Collection and Sekoya, and introduced Sekoya Nova, the newest addition to the platform, which attracted strong interest among Field + Forum attendees.
Judith Froitzheim, Marco Migliore, Daniela Moeller, and Marc Rossmann from Rewe Group.
The event also featured chef Dani del Toro, who prepared several blueberry-based recipes that participants were able to taste.
Stefan Spanjaard and Jose Carvalho, from Alpine Fresh.
Rodrigo Cifuentes, from Fall Creek, with Lydia Castellanos and Holger Brandt, from Fruitist.
Fall Creek has extended its motto, "Building a world with better blueberries," to each of the varieties developed across its different breeding programs, which are cultivated around the world. According to the company, genetics has played a crucial role in the expansion of the global blueberry market, enabling production that is "consistent and of quality throughout the year," while also delivering fruit such as the new Sekoya Nova variety with a shelf life of more than 60 days in cold storage.
Antonio Álamo, from Fall Creek.
In the afternoon, the program continued in Cartaya with the Meet and Greet organized by Planasa, completing the day dedicated to berry breeding programs. David Ortiz welcomed participants to the event, where visitors had the opportunity to discover and taste the company's different varieties, both commercial selections and new breeding developments.
One of the berries attracting particular interest was the blackberry. As speakers suggested during the presentations, "Is black the new blue?" The attention that growers and retailers gave to blackberry varieties during the greenhouse visit confirmed the growing interest in this crop.
Variety tastings allowed participants to explore berries expected to reach the market and to be cultivated in different production regions around the world. Taken together, the two events offered a privileged look at both the present and the future of berry genetics.
Antonio Soto and Bruno Domínguez, from Arofa, together with Fátima, from Planasa.
Jan Van Bergeijk from Remolino and Harold Hout from Surberry.
Joining them at the event in the afternoon, under the green lights of Planasa, were members of Cofrelux, Fran, Lolo, and El Pilonar.
