The tenth edition of the International Berry Congress got underway this morning at Casa Colón in a very special way, with a clear tribute to the individuals and institutions whose work has helped to highlight the role of the countryside and berries in society and in the provincial, regional and national economy.
This was highlighted at the official opening of the congress with the presentation of the twelve Fresa Awards and the Fresa de Oro, through which Freshuelva, the congress organiser, sought to recognise the good work, commitment and support of individuals and institutions working for the benefit and defence of this sector, as well as express recognition of the Caja Rural del Sur Foundation, the event’s exclusive sponsor, for its firm commitment to backing and believing in this event from its inception, which has contributed to the success of this gathering.
This support for the sector was also evident at the official opening ceremony, which was attended by the Mayor of Huelva, Pilar Miranda; the Secretary of State for Agriculture and Food, Begoña García Bernal; the Vice-President of the Provincial Council, José Manuel Zamora; the Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of the Regional Government of Andalusia, Consolación Vera; the President of the Caja Rural del Sur Foundation, José Luis García-Palacios Álvarez; and the President of Freshuelva, Francisco J. Gómez García, at an event also attended by numerous mayors of agricultural municipalities, as well as other institutional, trade union, business and political representatives, such as the Managing Director of the Andalusian Agency for Agricultural and Fisheries Management (Agapa), José Carlos Álvarez, amongst others.
In this regard, the city’s mayor, Pilar Miranda, stated that the city is proud to host the International Berry Congress for yet another year, “an event that marks its 10th anniversary as the sector’s leading forum following a decade of work, effort and promotion of a product that we must all protect and care for, as it is one of the greatest ambassadors for the province of Huelva”.
In this way, the mayor has once again extended the City Council’s hand to farmers, saying, “You have an exciting future ahead of you, in which the city of Huelva must play an important role as an ally, committed to attracting projects that establish us as a hub for agri-food processing, ensuring that the added value of your work is transformed into wealth, opportunities and jobs for all”.
For her part, the Secretary of State for Agriculture and Food, Begoña García Bernal, emphasised that “Huelva’s soft fruit sector is a model of excellence in every respect, including in the workplace, which is something that must be stated loud and clear”. García Bernal highlighted the sector’s high quality standards, which make Huelva “the beating red heart of the Spanish countryside”.
The Secretary of State also emphasised that Spain is the leading producer of soft fruits in the European Union “thanks to the efforts of Huelva’s farmers”, and highlighted that when a strawberry reaches a table in Berlin, Paris or Madrid, “it also brings quality, history, identity, the future and the ‘Made in Spain’ brand”.
For his part, the Vice-President of the Provincial Council, José Manuel Zamora, emphasised that “the Provincial Council is fully committed to anything that contributes to the economic and social development of our province, and this conference is a clear example of that. Huelva leads the soft fruit sector in Europe thanks to collective effort and a firm commitment to innovation, sustainability and excellence, values with which this institution fully identifies.”
The Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of the Regional Government of Andalusia, Consolación Vera, highlighted the “firm support” of the administration she represents for the soft fruit sector, “essential for the development of Huelva and Andalusia, generating over 160,000 jobs and 1.2 billion euros in exports”.
Vera highlighted the “excellence” of a sector which, amongst other aspects, “has 78% of its cultivated area under integrated production and 90% of farmers have certified water sustainability”.
The president of Caja Rural del Sur, José Luis García-Palacios, emphasised that the soft fruit sector has, throughout its history, proven itself to be “a shining example of resilience”, and must therefore continue to demonstrate “that it must keep improving and refining the excellence it already displays”. García-Palacios also reaffirmed the “firm commitment” that the Caja Rural del Sur Foundation, as the exclusive main sponsor, maintains to the Congress
Finally, the president of Freshuelva, Francisco José Gómez, took stock of the most notable changes in the sector over the last decade: the opening of new markets beyond the European Union, major initiatives in varietal research, the vast area under integrated production, and the exemplary source-sourcing programmes, amongst other innovations and advances. He also highlighted the sector’s three key demands: water, labour and soil disinfection, which are essential for the consolidation of soft fruit cultivation in the province.
Strawberry and Golden Strawberry Awards
During the opening ceremony, Freshuelva presented its 2nd Strawberry Awards, established in 2023 by the association’s Board of Directors to recognise the excellence, commitment and support of individuals and institutions working for the benefit and defence of this sector.
In this way, Freshuelva wished to recognise twelve individuals, companies and institutions, such as the Andalusian Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries, Food and Organic Production Research and Training (IFAPA), for its constant commitment to research, training and knowledge transfer, which received the Strawberry Award for Innovation and Sustainability, accepted by its president, Marta Bosquet.
In recognition of his professionalism, perseverance and dedication to the strawberry sector over more than four decades, and for his 20 years as president of Freshuelva Viveristas, Freshuelva presented its Lifetime Achievement Strawberry Award to Alfredo Arcos García, whilst the company Polisur received the Social Responsibility Strawberry Award for being a model and benchmark of quality, business excellence and commitment to training in the sector.
The Fresa Award for Institutional Collaboration was presented to the Moroccan National Agency for Employment and Skills Promotion (ANAPEC) for its vital role in recruitment at source over more than two decades, a symbol of Spanish-Moroccan cooperation; whilst the Fresa Award for Institutional Achievement went to Carmen Crespo, former Regional Minister for Agriculture of the Andalusian Regional Government and current MEP, for her outstanding institutional track record in defending the sector’s interests, her invaluable support and her continued backing of soft fruit producers.
The company Fresas Nuevos Materiales, for its part, received the Strawberry R&D&I Award for its continuous contributions and excellent results in varietal research during its 25 years of existence, and, posthumously, trade unionist Luciano Gómez was awarded the Strawberry Lifetime Achievement Award for his role and dedication in defending workers and advancing agriculture in Huelva.
As a key player in the value chain and in the development of berry exports, the Transonuba Group received the Strawberry Award for Supplier Company, whilst the firms Masiá Ciscar and Grupo Medina each received the Strawberry Award for Historic Company for their commitment to unity, their promotion of the sector’s development, and in recognition of their fundamental role in the founding and creation of Freshuelva.
The media were also recognised by Freshuelva with one of the Fresa Awards, which went to Canal Sur for its ongoing work in publicising and promoting the excellent work of Huelva’s berry growers and the region’s agricultural sector. In addition, the Fresa Award for Best Ambassador went to Huelva-based chef and food writer Daniel del Toro, for his promotion, dissemination and advocacy of the culinary virtues of Huelva’s berries.
The awards ceremony concluded with the presentation of the Golden Strawberry, the highest honour with which Freshuelva recognises the careers of outstanding figures in Huelva’s soft fruit sector, which was awarded to Diego Velo Castillo, a farmer whose career has been marked by great passion, honesty and love for the countryside.
In today’s programme, the opening lecture due to be given by Manu Sánchez had to be cancelled following the death of a close relative of the comedian and presenter.
Over 60 companies and 1,700 professionals
Following the official opening of the conference, which brought together over 1,700 professionals, representatives from various government bodies and organisations toured the exhibition area, where more than 60 companies supporting the soft fruit sector were showcasing their products and services.
Also prior to the official opening, the programme of technical conferences began, taking place at the Palacio de Congresos and in Rooms A and B of the Casa Colón, with presentations by companies on the latest technological innovations in the sector, delivered by experts from several of the exhibiting companies and event partners. This parallel programme was opened by Koppert, Viveros California, Bayer and Bioline.
Second day
Tomorrow’s programme, Thursday 19 June, will resume at 9 am with the start of the second session of technical talks, which on this occasion will feature presentations by Alltech, Herogra Group, Faense, Bioibérica, Tarazona Agrosolutions, Corteva Biologicals, Seipasa, DHL, Agrocolor and Syngenta Biologicals.
Later, at 12.30 pm, the Regional Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of the Regional Government of Andalusia, Ramón Fernández-Pacheco, will take part in the closing ceremony of the Congress, which will reach its climax at 1.00 pm with a talk by the renowned science communicator and senior dietetics specialist Pablo Ojeda, entitled ‘Sowing health: how berries can lead the way in tomorrow’s diet’. This presentation is sponsored by Gusto del Sur, a quality brand of the Regional Government of Andalusia, and is co-financed by ERDF funds.
Pablo Ojeda, born in Seville in 1982, is a dietitian, a member of the Spanish Society for the Study of Obesity, and a specialist in obesity and eating disorders. He appears on television programmes such as ‘Más vale tarde’ on La Sexta and is the author of several books on healthy eating, including ‘Comida, vamos a llevarnos bien’.
In his talk, Ojeda will highlight the many health benefits of red berries as foods rich in antioxidants, vitamins, fibre and minerals, making them a versatile and nutritious food.
