Registration Now Open For IFTA Annual Conference

Registration is now open for the International Fruit Tree Association’s 55th Annual Conference, which takes place Jan. 8-11, 2012 in Santiago, Chile. Orchard tours will follow Jan. 12-22 in Chile, Argentina, and Brazil.

The theme of this year’s conference is “High Density – High Profits: Competitiveness in the Southern Hemisphere.” Chile’s central valley has a long history of agriculture and vineyards dating back to colonial times, with fertile soil and beneficial, Mediterranean-like climate, a result of the naturally isolating effects of the landscape of the country — the Atacama Desert in the north, the Andes Mountains to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the ice fields to the south. With the unique natural geography of the country consisting of separate independent zones of production, Chile has been able to establish high-quality fruit production, without the problems of viruses that can trouble other countries’ fruit industries.

For a complete conference schedule, and to register, go to www.ifruittree.org.