Page 17 - AWA Vol.42-No3

hOrTICulTure

harbest® Show: The mechanical pepper harvesting

revolution arrives in Italy
Last August, Semillas Fitó organized a ultimate proof. Seeing the machines
field day in Italy to demonstrate the effi- working on our varieties and verifying
ciency of the new Harbest® certification the cleanliness and uniformity of the har-
live. Clients from the international agri- vested fruit confirms that Harbest is the
business sector witnessed how our ge-
netics facilitate a flawless, profitable, and tool the industry needs today ," the proj-
loss-free mechanized harvest. ect team emphasizes.
In the agribusiness sector, time and ef- A milestone for our international ex-
ficiency are critical factors. That's why pansion
at Semillas Fitó we've taken a step for- gently, avoiding breakage.
ward with the Harbest® Show , an event This event not only served to launch the
designed to showcase the power of our • Harvest concentration: Plants that al- brand in Italy, but also to solidify Semil-
new quality mark live. The chosen venue low a single machine entry with a very las Fitó's image as a company that offers
was Italy, where we met with key players high percentage of fruit at its optimal rip- global solutions with a local focus . Har-
in the industry to demonstrate that the ening point. best® technology, successfully tested in
future of processing peppers lies in op- • Operational efficiency: A real solution markets such as Spain and Italy, demon-
timizing the harvest. to alleviate the lack of manpower and the strates that our varieties are ready to lead
A demonstration of strength and high costs of manual harvesting. the way in efficiency in Europe's main
technology The voice of experience growing regions.
The heart of the Harbest® Show was The event allowed for direct dialogue
the harvesting demonstration. Attendees with industrial clients, who highly valued This seal thus joins other initiatives of
were able to see how the varieties se- Fitó's efforts to develop genetics that not the company aimed at adding value to
lected under the Harbest label perform only consider yield per hectare, but also the entire agri-food chain, from the pro-
when harvested by machinery. ease of subsequent processing. ducer to the final consumer.

• Clean harvesting: Fruits that detach "The Harbest® Show in Italy was the Circle 20 on enquiry card

everyd Flowers expands with new gerbera greenhouse

Gerbera nursery EveryD Flowers re- Scherminstallaties explains that such cal-
cently expanded from 12 to nearly 16 culations are always the guiding princi-
hectares. An existing rose greenhouse ple. “The greenhouse seemed prepared
on Oostlaan in De Lier was completely for a second screen, but the calculations
converted into a gerbera greenhouse. showed that the structure was just a little
Two Svensson climate screens were in- too light,” says Peter. “In that case, you
stalled in the new greenhouse: an Ob- have to reinforce the gutters and/or the
scura 10070 FR WB+BW blackout screen gable end so that the load is properly
and the transparent energy screen Lux- absorbed.” Although that meant an extra
ous Light FR. The installation was carried trays and installed new screens.” step in the project, it ultimately provided
out by El Flaco Scherminstallaties, with certainty. “A few weeks later, there was
whom EveryD Flowers has been collab- Two layers of screens snow,” says Hen. “At that point, I was ac-
orating for some time. In the greenhouse, a combination of two tually quite glad that the greenhouse had
From roses to gerberas layers of screens from Svensson was cho- been reinforced.”
sen: a blackout screen and a transparent
The expansion came about when the energy screen. “We work with two layers Converted quickly
opportunity arose to take over the rose of screens at several existing locations,” The conversion of the greenhouse was
location. “That was a strategic step for says Hen. “That is why the choice here completed in a short time. Demolition
us,” says Hen Groenewegen, co-owner was quite logical. We chose Obscura for and reconstruction of the greenhouse
and cultivation specialist at EveryD Flow- blackout and Luxous Light as the energy started in early October 2025. By early
ers. “We were at about 12 hectares, and screen.” 2026, the first plants could already be
with this location, we are expanding to moved back into the greenhouse. “In
nearly 16 hectares.” The former rose Additional reinforcement of the week four of the new year, the first ger-
greenhouse of approximately four hect- greenhouse beras were already in,” says Hen. Peter
ares was subsequently adapted for ger- During the preparations, new pressure also looks back with satisfaction: “It was
bera cultivation. “Much of the foundation calculations revealed that the green- a big job, but we managed to complete it
was already good,” explains Hen. “The house structure required additional on schedule.”
cultivation system and heating could reinforcement for the second screen.
remain. We adapted the system for pot Installer Peter van der Valk of El Flaco Circle 21 on enquiry card
Vol. 42 No. 3 15