Garda Kiwifruit Conference Focuses on Cultivation, Market & Food Safety

The conference on Garda kiwifruit took place at the Centro turistico gardesano congress center. It was organized by the Comune di Bussolengo in collaboration with the fruit and vegetable market and the Banca popolare dell’Emilia Romagna. The title of the event was “Garda Kiwifruit; Updates on Cultivation Techniques and Product Enhancement Proposals”.

Mayor Lino Venturini and the delegated agriculture councilor Graziano Squaranti hosted the event. Provincial Agriculture Assessor Albino Pezzini was also present, emphasizing that quality and food safety are the main challenges facing the agricultural sector.

“Verona could become the headquarters of the food safety agency in a few months,” Pezzini announced. Luca Motta, president of the inter-municipal fruit and vegetable market of Bussolengo and Pescantina, echoed these sentiments.

Projects and Initiatives

“The board of directors of the market plans to establish a guarantee commission composed of representatives of producers, traders, and consumers. Meanwhile, we are awaiting the recognition of the ‘Il kiwi del Garda’ trademark,”

The series of interventions coordinated by Pietro Cernigliaro, president of the national association of wholesale market directors, began with a presentation by Raffaele Testolin, a professor at the Department of Plant Production and Agricultural Technologies at the Università di Udine.

Technical Advice and Market Status

“Maximum attention must be paid to pruning,” Testolin advised. “Every cut is a potential route for disease inoculation for the plants. Disinfection is necessary, and pruning of the trunk and main branches of mature plants should be avoided. Renewal of the vine shoots should also occur at least biennially.”

“Great caution must also be exercised to avoid excessive nitrogen fertilization,” the professor continued. “This can compromise fruit firmness and negatively affect storage quality. Regarding pollination, the best results are achieved with bees and manual methods.”

International Market and Quality

“Italian kiwifruit is gaining significant success in the international market, especially in the United States of America,” said Walter Guzzardi, a commercial consultant.

“Unfortunately, the issue of premature harvests persists, leading to the market introduction of fruits with insufficient ripeness, which results in dequalification of our product.

To definitively combat dishonest traders who sell kiwifruit with inadequate sugar content, flavor, and unacceptable firmness, strict rules and severe sanctions are necessary.”

Production Rules and Traceability

“Production and marketing regulations should be established by a interprofessional organization that considers the entire supply chain,” hoped Daniela Bragantini, of the national association of fruit and vegetable exporters.

“Sanctions alone are not enough; offenders should be made to pay for the economic damage caused to the sector.

To provide consumers with accurate quality guarantees, it must be possible to oversee all steps from the agricultural company producing the fruit to retail sales.

Data can be easily entered and read through barcode or microchip systems capable of containing numerous pieces of information.

Traceability of all agri-food products is a pressing need and could soon become a legal requirement.”