The 1st edition of International Asparagus Days to be held at Cesena Fiera

There are more than 300,000 hits on Google for “asparagus”. It is a ridiculous amount, although not particularly surprising if we consider that 210,000 hectares of asparagus are grown worldwide. Yet, despite the increasing appeal, for some time now there has not been an international event specifically dedicated to this crop. The first edition of the International Asparagus Days, to be held from 16 to 18 October 2018 at Cesena Fiera, is set to fill this “gap”. The three-day trade fair is the result of a partnership between Cesena Fiera, the organiser of Macfrut, and Christian Befve, one of the world’s leading experts on asparagus, in cooperation with Luciano Trentini, who is also an asparagus and fruit and vegetable specialist. This highly specialised event follows in the footsteps of a previous event promoted by Befve five years ago in Bordeaux. Christian Befve is an agronomy and sales consultant to many companies in 30 different countries with three decades of experience. Luciano Trentini, instead, has focused on developing a number of new techniques in Italy, such as mechanical transplantation, weed control and the fight against crop diseases using heat. As mentioned, 210,000 hectares of asparagus are grown worldwide, of which more than 7,500 hectares are grown in Italy. The world’s leading asparagus producing countries are Peru and China. Global demand for both fresh and processed produce is on the increase. The entire supply chain is interested in increasing quality as well as promoting this product on the market more effectively, given the low consumption rate among Italian families, which is just over 45%. The event scheduled in Cesena aims to take stock of the situation in a year in which adverse weather conditions have negatively affected the segment’s results throughout Europe. In fact, the low spring temperatures and heavy rainfall took their toll on crops, delaying production, which then boomed with the warmer temperatures, at times creating an overflow in the market in Europe as well as causing prices to fall. The event will consist of four parts. First of all, an exhibition with exhibitors from all over the world to be hosted in Cesena Fiera’s pavilions. In addition, several conferences on agronomic, commercial, strategic and technical aspects will be held in three conference rooms. These will focus especially on the many varieties of asparagus and low environmental impact techniques, such as antagonistic microorganisms for traditional and organic crops. Last but not least, there will also be a dynamic area with demonstration tests that will take place in an area adjacent to Cesena Fiera, showcasing cutting-edge technology in action in the field. These first three initiatives will take place on Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 October, whereas technical tours with visits to several asparagus producers in the Emilia-Romagna and Veneto regions are scheduled for Thursday, 18 October. The International Asparagus Days will be promoted on a European tour covering France and Germany in particular, with specific promotional events. Press Office- Agenzia PrimaPagina(Filippo Fabbri – Giulia Fellini)Tel. +39 0547 24284 - Mobile +39 3471567681 fabbri@agenziaprimapagina.it