In 2025, the 13th edition of the International Mechanisation and Demonstration Strawberry fair for professional visitors will take place at the Research Centre Hoogstraten. The actual fair will take place on Saturday, 20 September 2025. During the exhibition there will be several demonstrations in the greenhouse and the field. In addition to mechanisation and demonstration, also other topics will be shown such as sustainable water use, integrated pest and disease control, and the digitization and automation of current strawberry cultivation. Furthermore, there will be guided tours organised by the research team to present the current research topics and shows the ongoing trials.
This year our fair is integrated in the 5th International Strawberry Congress (www.iscbelgium.com) organised by Coöperatie Hoogstraten. This congress will take place from 17 to 18 September in Antwerp (Flanders Meeting & Convention Center, right next to the central station). On Friday 19 September we will organise several fieldtrips (registration via ISC Belgium) for a national and international audience.
Fair information
Strawberries are grown intensively and on a large scale in the northern part of our country. The commercialisation of these enormous quantities of fruit is successfully carried out by Coöperatie Hoogstraten, the largest strawberry auction in Belgium. Over the years, the high quality requirements and the pursuit of optimal production have ensured the broad, international appreciation of the "Hoogstraatse" strawberry. The progressiveness in current practice is typical of the region and the demand for new techniques, modern systems, improved crop protection, new varieties, etc. is only increasing. PCH already has a rich tradition in contributing to the optimisation of strawberry cultivation through its own research, information, evening classes, tours, trade fairs,... Undoubtedly the largest fair organized in the Hoogstraten region is the international mechanisation and demonstration strawberry day. In 2025, the thirteenth edition will be organized by Proefcentrum Hoogstraten, Coöperatie Hoogstraten and Antwerpse aardbeienkring. The fair takes place in the greenhouses and surrounding fields at the research centre. Many exhibitors with different emphasis and cultivation input are brought together, so that the various recent developments in cultivation can be discussed.
The fair is open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and takes place at Proefcentrum Hoogstraten, Voort 71 in Meerle (BE). Throughout the day there is the opportunity to view the different stands and to ask the exhibitors for extra information. Various demonstrations are carried out by the companies in the various cultivation systems present at the research centre. Such demonstrations show how modern machines and techniques work and how they provide a positive, new input in improving modern strawberry cultivation. During the 12th edition of the international mechanisation and demonstration strawberry fair in 2022, 80 different exhibitors were present and 10 companies used the demonstration facilities to showcase their products and machines to the broad visitor audience.
The fair will be held in the modern greenhouse complex of the research centre, which is expanded in 2024. The many exhibitors will be positioned in the wide greenhouse corridor, so the fair is truly located in a unique location among the crops. The exhibitors are open to answer all kinds of questions, enter into discussions about cultivation aspects and express their company vision. As in previous years, they will also be some opportunities to demonstrate some applications of their new technologies. A central area for eating and drinking will make it possible to spend the entire day in a relaxed and pleasant way. To give the day some extra substance, several tours will be organized from the research centre. During these tours, the current trials on strawberries in the various cultivation systems are explained by the strawberry research team. To reinforce the international character of the mechanization day, these tours will be provided in several languages.
