Civ, the Italian Nursery Consortium of San Giuseppe di Comacchio (Fe), returns from Madrid Fruit Attraction confirming its interest in the Iberian market, in particular as regards innovation in strawberry cultivation. "Thanks to our network of partner companies and collaborators in the area of Huelva (southern Spain)", says Marco Bertolazzi , Business Development Manager, "we have concretely launched a development project of the new strawberry variety Shayda with planting in the next days of about four million seedlings, crowning the contacts, networking and experimentation activities carried out in the last two years. The project involves large local players (cooperatives, producers and export companies)".

But not just strawberries, apples too. Bertolazzi continues: “We are talking about a project that started several years ago. Apples are produced in different areas of Spain and thanks to our greater presence in the area we are making known our varieties and our genetics, which until a few years ago was little known". In parallel, the partnership with the Vog Consortium for the Red Pop apple variety grows. “Vog is the exclusive European licensee for the production and marketing of this new variety. After a significant planting phase in South Tyrol, we are considering expanding the project in the main producing countries of the old continent such as France, Spain, Austria, Switzerland and the UK where we are already doing tests".

But the CIV research also examines the pear sector, which is currently undergoing a profound crisis, in particular as regards the queen variety, the Abate Fetel. “We are looking for a variety, of any origin, of any genetic improvement program in the world, which can be adapted to the Po Valley, with good productivity, at least 40 tons per hectare. An easy to manage variety, with medium-long shelf life (at least 6 months) and with taste and organoleptic properties more in line with the needs of consumers. We are also talking about crunchy pears, for example, which can be eaten at harvest”, concludes Bertolazzi.