Between 30 September and 2 October, and for the first time in Greece, the company Zeus Kiwi organised the International Kiwifruit Organisation (IKO) conference, which has already arrived to its 34th edition. In an interview to FreshPlaza, GM Christina Manossis states that “the conference is an important event for the kiwifruit industry, as all major players gather in one place to discuss trends, statistics, new markets, etc. It is a day when there’s no competition between us and we stick together for the good of the kiwi industry.”
She explains that the conference counted with representatives from eight countries: New Zealand, Chile, US, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and Greece. “It is usually organised by the industry of each country (last year in Chile, next year in Spain), but for now there’s no committee in Greece, so it was our responsibility to do this on our own.”
The main reason why the conference is a big asset for the sector is that everyone involved offers clear reports and information on the current situation regarding key topics that affect everyone, such as the PSA, about which “findings and research were revealed last week. That’s the good thing, that there are no secrets between us, because we understand that PSA is a global problem.”
Besides the main programme, the conference also offered participants a chance to take part in touristic activities in the region of Pieria, which is the country’s main kiwifruit producer. “We were anxious about organising the event, since we don’t have a committee, but everybody was involved and the outcome and what the delegations said were good. Everybody was pleased about the organisation, the timing, the schedule, etc.”
