Portrait of a sweet cherry breeder: Gregorio Lopez-Ortega
18 Jan 2024
n this article, José Quero García, member of the technical-scientific committee of Cherry Times, interviewed Gregorio Lopez-Ortega, breeder at the Chilean company Hortifrut.
The Chilean cherry supply chain is the focus of the new episode of Macfrut Academy, the innovative platform promoted by Macfrut. The appointment is on Thursday, October 24 at 5:00 PM (Italian time) with a video lesson dedicated to one of the world's leading cherry production regions. More specifically, the episode will highlight post-harvest with a focus on technologies that enable the export of 90% of this fruit globally.
The video lesson can be followed for free by registering on the Academy's platform: https://academy.macfrut.com
The Chilean cherry, thanks also to the contribution of increasingly intelligent machines, has managed to conquer distant markets and establish a position of leadership. In the video lesson, hosted by journalist Maicol Mercuriali, you can follow the cherry's supply chain journey, from the field to the warehouse.
The journey starts at the orchard and ends at the fruit processing center, where the first step involves emptying the crates and bins and cooling the product. The next steps include water processing with the removal of leaves and the separation of stems until reaching the crucial sorting stage, where technology is at its peak.
The sorting machines analyze the fruits, selecting them based on internal and external quality parameters using non-destructive techniques. The cherries are then prepared for packaging: in the video lesson, significant advances in automation and improvements in palletizing and product shipping are examined.
During the video lesson, Juan Pablo Zoffoli, a professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, explains the pillars of post-harvest. Unitec presents the evolution of processing and sorting lines, while Graziani Packaging focuses on product palletizing. The episode also features exclusive interviews with managers of major Chilean players and a guide on preparing shipments for export.
The video lesson on the Chilean cherry supply chain is the fifth episode of Macfrut Academy, the innovative digital platform aimed at professionals in the fruit and vegetable sector. A format that is both agile and authoritative, providing in-depth scientific insights into the main topics of the fruit and vegetable supply chain to keep professionals up to date on the latest industry trends. The episodes are also available on-demand, upon registration on the platform.
Info: academy@macfrut.com
The video lesson is free with registration: https://academy.macfrut.com/
