ONE of the Australian blueberry industry’s pioneers will address BerryQuest International in Tasmania later this month.
Founder/owner of Mountain Blue farms in NSW, Ridley Bell, will discuss the varietal trends in blueberries overseas and in Australia at the conference which is a combined event for the strawberry, blueberry, raspberry and blackberry industries.
Mr Ridley is considered a world leading expert in the development of the Australian blueberry industry and joins several other high profile speakers on the list.
Another highly anticipated presentation will come from Carla Brown from the Australian Centre for Field Robotics (ACFR), who will present on the use of robotics in horticulture.
Ms Brown is the research and business development manager for ACFR, the largest robotics and automation research group in Australia and one of the largest of its kind in the world.
BerryQuest International 2018 will take place from February 12 – 15 at the Country Club Launceston.
The conference and trade exhibition, the largest for the Australian berry industry and the first in more than four years, will deliver the latest information in farming technology, research outcomes and business development opportunities aimed to increase the capacity of the industry.
The berry industry in Australia has a combined annual value of more than $850 million.
More than 260 berry growers produce the fruits throughout the country and employ more than 20,000 people annually.
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Launceston was chosen as the location for the conference as all the berry fruits will be in harvest at the time of the event, providing an ideal opportunity for delegates to visit Tasmanian berry production during the farm visits included in the program.
Delegates will also have access to a broad range of leading industry minds via the conference program, featuring world-class presentations on key themes such as developments in substrate production and integrated pest management technology, the changing trends of marketing and promotion, berry breeding and propagation, and the use of robotics in horticulture.
Registrations are still open. Visit: www.berryquest.com.au.