Overview of Target Audiences

Fruit growers & winegrowers

With practical advice, field research and personalized guidance, we help you make informed decisions for your crops and business.

Researchers

Reliable results thanks to infrastructure, expertise, and collaboration

Companies and advisors

From initial idea to official validation. We make your innovations market-ready.

Mission

At pcfruit npo, we create real added value for fruit growing. We do this through applied scientific research and demonstration plots, by gathering and sharing knowledge, and through targeted services. All this is done with a constant eye on social developments.

Today, pcfruit is the beating heart of the fruit-growing region 'Haspengouw': a place where research, demonstrations, individual advisory services and other services come together to support and inspire fruit growers, businesses and advisors.

Accreditations

As a research centre, we hold GEP accreditation, G/1 accreditations, a licence for R&D activities from France and a scientific visa. We have also received accreditation to the ISO/IEC 17020:2012 standard. View them below.

Recognitions
Accreditations

About pcfruit

pcfruit originated from three organisations:

the Gorsem Research Station (1943) with three departments: Royal Research Station of Gorsem npo, Services to Businesses npo and Services to Growers npo;
the Research field for strawberries and soft fruits npo (1977);
the Research field for pome and stone Fruit npo (1981).

On 20 June 1997, the Fruit Growing Research Centre (PCF) was established as a cluster for scientific and demonstration research, individual farm advisory services and support for fruit growers. In 2001, the umbrella structure was given a solid foundation through a major restructuring of the existing non-profit organisations, in close consultation with the fruit auctions, the fruit sector group of the Farmers’ Union and the Belgian Fruit Growers’ Organisation.

On 1 January 2006, the name changed to Proefcentrum Fruitteelt (pcfruit npo). The applied scientific research and services of Gorsem moved to the new premises in Sint-Truiden (Kerkom) in 2008. Since 2013, the experimental fields for strawberries and soft fruits has also been based here.

Inge Moors, Deputy for Agriculture for the Province of Limburg, is currently Chair of pcfuit's board.