Interpera 2024 addresses some of the current challenges of the pear sector
Interpera’s conference day on 27th June will include international agriculture experts. In the morning, the first panel will gather representatives from the main European pear-producing countries to review the past campaign and unveil the first harvest forecasts.
The congress will then focus on consumption. Trends for pears having evolved, reflecting changing consumer preferences towards health, convenience, and sustainability, a presentation will be dedicated to the best ways to communicate pear value.
The discussion will then move on to a second panel with the challenges facing the sector. First, an EU perspective will review current policies and regulations with an emphasis on the consequences of climate change. The following speakers will focus on water and soil. Participants will be presented a highly efficient water treatment technology that restores salt-saturated soils and allows to irrigate with saline water.
Later, the importance of soil health will be illustrated by an explanation of the microbiome, this complex community of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microscopic life forms, that inhabit the soil environment. They play crucial roles in the ecosystem.
Interpera’s third panel will delve on the orchard of the future. Starting with the BioFago project that will present a natural and environmentally friendly antibacterial agent (biopesticide) to mitigate the Fire blight.
The last session of this panel will mention the ideal production combination for the future: varieties that resist pests and diseases, mechanisation with adapted pruning, thinning, etc; and an efficient use of water.
ANP and AREFLH, this year’s Interpera organisers, are honoured to announce that famous CNN Portugal TV host Sara Sousa Pinto will be presenting the conference. Her charisma promises to enhance the event and to bring dynamism to all the sessions.
Following its yearly pattern, Interpera will also include technical visits that will take place on 26th June. Participants will have the opportunity to visit orchards, packing stations and a research centre in the Oeste region, the birthplace of Pera Rocha production.
As registration will close on Monday evening 17th June, there is no time to lose for interested people to buy their ticket. Interpera programmes and the ticket platform can be found on www.interpera.org.
