The programme for Interpoma Tours 2026 has been unveiled, featuring ten guided visits covering applied research, post-harvest technology, sustainability, organic farming, production models and underground storage.
Taking place from 25 to 27 November during Interpoma, the international apple trade fair held at Fiera Bolzano, the tours will offer a first-hand look at some of the most advanced operations across the apple industry in South Tyrol and Trentino, EastFruit reports, citing the event organisers.
The guided tours will take visitors to apple-growing operations, research centres, companies and local cooperatives. They are organised by Fiera Bolzano in partnership with the South Tyrolean Extension Service for Fruit- and Winegrowing and other local organisations.
The tours form an integral part of the 14th edition of Interpoma, the world’s only trade fair dedicated exclusively to the apple sector, which will take place from 25 to 27 November 2026.
Ten tours are scheduled across the three days of the fair. To make them accessible to a diverse international audience, all guided visits will be conducted in English.
The programme will allow visitors, industry professionals and media representatives to go beyond the exhibition halls and see how innovation is being implemented throughout the apple supply chain — from applied research and digitalisation to grading and packaging technology, storage, sustainability, organic farming, water management and new cultivation models.
“The Interpoma Tours are one of the fair’s most hands-on formats, giving participants a genuine, first-hand look at what is happening in businesses, research centres and local cooperatives,” explains Anna Crosignani, Brand Manager at Interpoma.
“It is precisely this interplay between theory and practice, between innovation on display and innovation in action, that makes Interpoma a unique event for the international apple industry.”
Tours 1 and 3 | The complete journey of the Melinda apple: from the packhouse to underground storage chambers
Held twice during the fair, this tour will follow the journey of a Melinda apple after harvest.
The programme includes a visit to the packhouse of one of the consortium’s cooperatives, a tasting of selected varieties and access to the spectacular underground storage chambers inside the Rio Maggiore Mine.
Deep within the mountain, the apples are stored in a unique underground environment that has become a symbol of innovative and sustainable post-harvest quality management.
Tours 2 and 10 | Behind the scenes of technological innovation: applied research shaping the future of apples at NOI Techpark
Offered at two different times, this tour will take participants to NOI Techpark in Bolzano, South Tyrol’s innovation district, where research institutions, companies, start-ups and laboratories work together to develop practical solutions for agriculture and the agri-food sector.
Following a brief introduction to the NOI ecosystem, participants will visit several laboratories that play a strategic role in the apple supply chain: the Fruit & Vegetable Processing Lab, the Laboratory for Flavours and Metabolites, the Sensing Technologies Lab and the Agroforestry Innovation Lab.
The visit will offer a close-up look at where innovative ideas, scientific research and real-world applications come together.
Tour 4 | The future is now: advanced technology and new approaches to cultivation
The tour’s first stop will be in Val Venosta at Manuel Telser’s Integrated Production (IP) commercial orchard in Corzes.
Located at an altitude of between 800 and 1,000 metres, the 12-hectare holding is now managed by the fourth generation of the family. The orchard grows varieties including Golden Delicious, Ambrosia, Pinova and SweeTango.
The second stop will be at the GEOS cooperative in Silandro, one of seven cooperatives within the VIP Consortium and one of the most modern fruit-handling centres in South Tyrol.
GEOS was the first cooperative in Val Venosta to introduce robotic apple-packing systems and has operated an automated vertical-racking warehouse since 2016.
Tour 5 | Don’t panic… it’s organic! Production and strategy in the organic market
Dedicated to organic farming, this tour will take participants to Markus Ladurner’s organic orchards in Lagundo, located on the Plars alluvial fan at an altitude of 500 metres.
Managed according to organic farming principles for almost 30 years, the business grows varieties including Gala, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Natyra, Topaz, Pink Lady and Cosmic Crisp.
The second stop will be at the Biosüdtirol cooperative in Lana. Founded by six farmers in 1990, the cooperative is now supplied by more than 300 growers.
Advanced technology and software make it possible to monitor every stage of the process, from production and harvesting to sorting and packaging.
Tour 6 | Innovation is the watchword: varietal trials and the wind tunnel
This tour will stop at Fuji Società Agricola s.r.l. in Laives, an innovative Integrated Production business with a strong commitment to experimentation.
The company grows 13 apple varieties across 30 hectares, standing out for the breadth of its varietal portfolio.
The tour will then continue to the Agroforestry Innovation Lab in Bolzano, connecting field trials with the latest developments in applied research and technological innovation.
Tour 7 | Micro and macro: comparing two family-run business models
This tour will compare two very different family business models.
The first stop will be at Michael Komiss’s Integrated Production apple business on the outskirts of Bolzano. The farm is known for cultivating a range of varieties and selling apple crisps directly to consumers under the Frutty brand.
The second stop will be at Egma/Fructus Meran in Vilpiano. Its fruit auction handles more than 30,000 tonnes of fruit from almost 300 growers between August and October, alongside the company’s processing activities involving apples, pears and frozen fruit.
Tour 8 | Excellence is nothing without technique: sprayers and digital optimisation
The first stop will be at the Sprayer Testing Centre in Lana, operated by the South Tyrol Fruit and Vine Advisory Centre.
During the visit, participants will see how nozzle output is measured and sprayers are inspected. These inspections are mandatory for farmers operating under the AGRIOS protocol and/or GLOBALG.A.P. guidelines.
The tour will then continue to Klaus Ganterer’s Integrated Production commercial orchard in Foiana, above Lana. This family-run business is representative of South Tyrolean apple growing and has introduced several sustainability measures in recent years.
These include irrigation based on the trees’ actual water requirements, measured using soil-moisture sensors, and the use of solar power, including to operate the electric harvesting platform.
Tour 9 | Apples across the region: from grower to cooperative
The tour will begin at the ROEN cooperative in Caldaro, one of ten cooperatives within the VOG area. It handles the grading, storage, packaging and logistics of apples supplied by almost 1,000 members.
The cooperative has recently introduced a new automated high-bay warehouse capable of storing more than 19,000 crates of apples. Its external façade features over 2,700 solar panels.
The second stop will be at Klaus Pfeifer’s commercial fruit farm in Laives, which operates according to Integrated Production principles.
Participants will learn more about the use of multi-axis training systems and the cultivation of varieties including Gala, Kanzi, Granny Smith, Giga and Pink Lady.
Places on the Interpoma Tours are limited, and advance booking through the online ticketing system is required.
Full details of the programme, availability and participation conditions are available on the Interpoma website.
The use of the site materials is free if there is a direct and open for search engines hyperlink to a specific publication of the East-Fruit.com website.
