Macfrut on tour, Africa in the spotlight and new missions planned

This year, once again, MACFRUT promotes itself abroad. Following the success of the last editions of the trade fair, achieved by launching a dedicated global promotional campaign, this year’s edition of Macfrut - to be held from 8 to 10 May 2019 at the Rimini Expo Centre - will be preceded by a series of high-profile presentations for the public and potential exhibitors, which will take place in many countries around the world. This initiative kicked off in autumn 2018, when several missions were carried out to Peru, Uzbekistan, Ghana, Vietnam, Mozambique, Zambia, Angola and Serbia. A delegation from Ethiopia was also hosted by Cesena Fiera, the organiser of Macfrut 2019. The next presentations are scheduled for 24 January in Morocco and 31 January in Ukraine. In addition, a date will soon be set for a mission to Colombia, which is likely to be in February. It is no coincidence that most presentations took place in Africa: in fact, Sub-Saharan Africa was chosen as the international partner of Macfrut 2019. The Sub-Saharan states have already shown positive feedback: in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, the strengthening of the agricultural sector, particularly the fruit and vegetable sector, was identified as a priority for economic and social development. In Luanda, Angola’s capital city, more than 200 fruit and vegetable sector professionals and Angolan Secretary of State for the Economy Sergio de Sousa Mendes dos Santos attended the presentation. In Lusaka, Minister of Agriculture Michael Katambo said that Zambia has shown great interest in participating in Macfrut 2019. At the residence of the Italian ambassador in Accra, Ghana, in the presence of the Chairman of the Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association of Ghana (VEPEAG), attention was drawn to the significant development of the Zambian fruit and vegetable industry in recent years: 6.5 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables were produced in 2016, mostly for domestic consumption, and the demand for imported produce, such as apples, pears and kiwis, has also increased. Finally, the Ethiopian delegation, made up of Minister of Agriculture Eyasu Abraha Alle, State Minister of Industry Bogale Feleke Temesgen and State Minister of Finance Admasu Nebebe Gedamu, had the opportunity to learn more about the organisational structure of the Emilia-Romagna agro-industrial model. Renzo Piraccini, President of Cesena Fiera, commented: ‘The fruit and vegetable industry, as well as several other sectors, is in a highly competitive phase. As for Macfrut 2019, choosing to have the Sub-Saharan African states as our partners was certainly a bold move. Nonetheless, we believe it is important for an internationally renowned exhibition such as Macfrut to be future-oriented, anticipate trends and reveal new potentials. We intend to continue presenting Macfrut 2019 with great enthusiasm: it is set to be a very special edition, with more novelties than ever before.’