Two mornings dedicated to exploring the future of the international apple industry: the full programme for Interpoma Congress 2026, taking place on 26 and 27 November at Fiera Bolzano, is now online. Early Bird tickets are available until 31 August.
Precision technologies, sustainability in crop protection, new production dynamics and international market prospects will be at the heart of Interpoma Congress 2026. With a strategic focus on Latin America, this benchmark event will evaluate the transformation of the global apple industry. It will also address the challenges facing the supply chain in the coming years.
As part of the 14th edition of Interpoma, for the first time, the Congress will take place on the second and third day – Thursday, 26 and Friday, 27 November. Interpoma, the only international trade fair entirely dedicated to apples, runs from 25 to 27 November in Bolzano. In a sector called upon to respond to new production, environmental and market requirements, Interpoma Congress establishes its position as a forum for analysis and debate between research, innovation, industry and international trade professionals.
The programme is divided into two days of technical and strategic in-depth study. The first day will be dedicated to new application technologies and their role in making orchard management more precise, efficient and sustainable. The second day broadens the scope to the international arena, with a focus on the opportunities and challenges facing Latin America, covering the evolution of production systems, competitiveness, domestic markets, exports, climate change, logistics and new commercial strategies.
Day 1 – Thursday, 26 November
The first day, Thursday, 26 November, will be dedicated to the evolution of application techniques under the banner “New Approaches in Spraying Technology: Efficiency meets sustainability”. The focus will be on increasingly impactful solutions to improve the precision of field operations, optimise product use, reduce off-target losses and guide orchards towards more efficient and sustainable production models.
Proceedings will be opened by Urban Spitaler of the Laimburg Research Centre, session chairman. This will be followed by presentations by Jens Karl Wegener of the Julius Kühn-Institut, who examines the relationship between precision applications and the European regulatory framework; Emilio Gil of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, who will delve into the subject of sensor-supported variable rate application; Valeria De Rosa of the University of Trento, with a focus on UV-C radiation in plant protection; Daniel Bondesan of the Edmund Mach Foundation, who will address stationary applications with hydraulic application systems; and Katrin Ahrens of the Julius Kühn-Institut, who will cover the topic of application systems using drones.
At the end of the session, the day’s speakers – at the invitation of the chairman – will take to the stage for a round table discussion on the current state of play of application technologies and their outlook on the technology’s future.
Day 2 – Friday, 27 November
On Friday, 27 November, the Congress will turn its gaze to international horizons with the day headlined “ Regional Chances and Global Challenges: Latin America in Focus”. This is a new and strategic focus, designed to offer up-to-date insights into some of the most interesting production areas in the global apple landscape, covering the evolution of production systems, competitiveness, domestic markets, exports, climate change, logistics and new commercial strategies.
The session will be introduced by Marta Bentancur, agronomist and independent consultant, who will provide an overview of global trends in apple production and trade. The programme will continue with Leo Rufato, who will deliver a presentation on the past and future of the Brazilian apple industry; Moisés Lopes de Albuquerque of the Brazilian Apple Producers Association, who will deep dive into domestic consumption and apple marketing in Brazil; Nestor Baeza of Agropecuaria La Norteñita, with a presentation on the production and commercialisation of Mexican apples; Mauricio Frias, horticultural consultant, who will address the competitiveness and challenges of apple production in Chile; and Charif Christian Carvajal of Frutas de Chile, who will conclude the day with a contribution focused on the positioning of Chilean apples in global markets, before leaving time for the customary final round table with all speakers.
“With Interpoma Congress, we always try to look at what is happening in the apple sector even outside European borders,” states Walter Guerra, congress coordinator and deputy director of the Laimburg Research Centre. “In past editions, we have tackled the theme of international dynamics several times, but we have never explored Latin America in a comprehensive way. From this, the idea developed into dedicating a day to this area, which includes very different production zones and equally diverse consumer markets. It is an interesting perspective because it allows us to observe the apple sector from a new point of view, amidst climate challenges, competitiveness, agronomic innovation and commercial dynamics. We have no doubt that the day on the evolution of application technologies will also generate huge interest among professionals in the sector.”
Programme and tickets
The full programme is available online. Registration is now open and, until 31 August 2026, tickets can be purchased at the discounted Early Bird rate of 72 euros.
For more information, visit: www.fierabolzano.it/en/interpoma/interpoma-congress
Fonte: Interpoma Congress 2026
