Prognosfruit 2020 is cancelled

Due to the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizers of the 2020 edition have had to take the difficult decision to cancel this year’s conference, scheduled to take place in Belgrade (Serbia) from 5-7 August 2020.

It has been agreed with Serbia Does Apples, the local organizer of the conference planned for 2020 in Belgrade, that Prognosfruit 2021 will take place in Serbia.

WAPA will still release the apple and pear forecast as usual. The modalities of disclosing the 2020 forecast will be announced in July.

Programme

Conference programme – Thursday 8 August

Interpretation foreseen in English, Dutch, French, Italian, and German

Print version of the full programme here.

8:00 Pick-up attendees from Hotel Eburon in Tongeren and Hotel Malpertuus in Riemst

08:15 – 09:00 – Registration

09:00 – 10:30 – Session 1

9:00 – 9:15 Welcome and official opening – Wim De Vos (Depute Head of section on General Policy of the Cabinet of Belgian Federal Minister for Agriculture Denis Ducarme), Philippe Appeltans (Chairperson of the Working Party F&V COPA-COGECA) and Luc Vanoirbeek (Secretary General of the Association of Belgian Horticultural Cooperatives – VBT)
9:15 – 10:30 Apple forecast and market outlook 2019 (Fresh, organic, and industry) – Philippe Binard (WAPA), Helwig Schwartau (AMI), Fritz Prem (Europäische Bioobst Forum), and Jan Hermans (AIJN)

10:30 – 11:00 – Networking break

11:00 – 12:45 – Session 2

11:00 – 11:30 Pear forecast and market outlook 2019 – Helene Deruwe (WAPA) and Helwig Schwartau (AMI)
11:30 – 12:45 Round table on market developmenst for apple and pear in Europe and Southern Hemisphere

Apple: Gerard Dichgans (VOG Consortium Italy), Kris Jans (BelOrta Belgium), Dominik Wozniak (Rajpol Trade Poland),Daniel Sauvaitre (ANPP France) and Didier Groven (Enzafruit New Zealand)

Pear: Luca Granata (Opera Italy), Filip Lowette (BFV Belgium), Leonard Kampschöer (Fruitmasters The Netherlands) and Nicholas Dicey (Hortgro South Africa)

12:45 – 14:30 – Networking lunch

14:30 – 16:30 – Session 3

14:30 – 14:40 Preview Prognosfruit 2020
14:40 – 15:00 Apples and Pears in Belgium – Luc Vanoirbeek (Association of Belgian Horticultural Cooperatives – VBT)
15:00 – 15:20 Precision Farming and Drones. Revolution in fruit growing? – Prof. Dr. Ir. Dany Bylemans (Pcfruit)
15:20 – 15:40 Innovation in production within the scope of new varieties – Nicolas Stevens (Better3Fruit)
15:40 – 16:00 Taste of apple and pear will make the difference. How we can translate subjective taste in objective figures and models – Ir. Ann Schenk (Flanders Centre of Postharvest Technology – VCBT)
16:00 – 16:20 Evolution in demands of the retail to the production sector of apples and pears – Stephan Weist (REWE)
16:20 – 16:30 Closing remarks – Rita Demaré (Chairperson of the Association of Belgian Horticultural Cooperatives – VBT)

16:45 Transfer to Hotel Eburon in Tongeren and Hotel Malpertuus in Riemst