Polish blueberry growers officially started the 2017 season on 1 July, a date that marks the start of harvesting, with a celebration known as Polish Blueberry Day.

The day was also seen as an opportunity to promote the consumption of blueberries, with Polish growers committed to educating consumers as well as raising the awareness of blueberry farming standards and fruit quality.

The main events of Polish Blueberry Day took place in Warsaw, with the new season started by 10-month old Staś Pieńko – a son and grandson of growers from the Lubelskie Voivodeship, a region that accounts for 42 per cent of Polish blueberry production – who was the first person to taste this year’s fruit.

The day was attended by several honorary guests, while the benefits of the fruit were presented by Anna Radowicka, a dietician and an expert in food quality, human nutrition assessment and public health.

“The goal is to promote the benefits of blueberries and our success as an industry," said Katarzyna Grzegrzółka-Parafiniuk, who works for the foundation promoting the health benefits of blueberries in Poland. "We are moving forward because, as you can see, we can work together."

There are high expectations for this year's harvest in Poland, and despite increasing domestic consumption, it is estimated that more than 80 per cent of volumes will be exported this year.