International Protea Association Conference

The 2017 International Protea Association (IPA) Grower’s Day was held on September 4th, in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Farmers, propagators, breeders, educators, researchers and marketers gathered in an open forum of communication and friendship to promote and expand the protea industry.

The event drew nearly 100 attendees from 10 countries. Grower’s Day topics included: Strategic Intelligence – thinking the future, Effect of domestic economic trend of SA flower market, Importance of temperature management in the cut flower value, Providing assurance in the wild fynbos sector and Will fynbos change with climate change?

In addition, Area Reports from South Africa, USA, Canary Islands, Azores, Australia, Chile, Israel, New Zealand and Portugal were presented covering each country’s current status of Proteaceae production and future outlooks. The reports were also submitted to the International Society for Horticulture Science (ISHS) and will become part of the conference proceedings published in ACTA Horticulturae.

Not only was the Grower’s Day program interesting and informative, but the flowers that complimented and adorned the conference area were inspiring and gorgeous!

The next IPA conference will be held in September 2019 or 2020 in the Canary Islands, with the exact dates and venue to be announced.