The sector’s first important on-site event this autumn will be held between the 5th and the 7th of October at Ifema, Madrid, with over 1,200 exhibiting companies and supported by Fepex
The return to social normality has allowed this event to be held, which will bring together the most prominent agents from the sector, both national and international.
The fair is also used as a meeting point for different groups of contact, amongst which the tomato and the grape groups from France, Italy, Spain and Portugal stand out.
The tomato group plans to cover the campaign forecasts, as well as topics related to different plant protection aspects of the crop and the current market situation, along with the consequences derived from competition from third countries. Accordingly, in the Report on the ‘Situation of the agricultural markets in the EU’ corresponding to the summer, 2021 – published by the European Commission in July-, showed concerning data for the tomato sector in the EU, with a drop in production of 2% in 2021 compared to 2020, a 21% regression in EU exports and a growth of 7% in imports, with Morocco as the first supplier bringing in 70% of the total imported produce. The second contact group plans to tackle similar subjects, along with the study on the promotion of this category.
Only professionals and people responsible for the associations representing these products in each country and members of the administration can take part in the two meetings of both groups.
The event will also host sectorial meetings on projects such as the Teco Networks, promoted by the ministry itself and carried out by Tragsa. The Teco Networks take care of monitoring sectorial technical-economic indicators to carry out analyses of production costs, profitability, impact of agricultural policies and use of new technologies on the developments. Thanks to them, reliable, up-to-date data about the profitability of the production sectors is available. The system works in the livestock and arable sectors and now it will be extended to the fruit and vegetable sector; for tomatoes, oranges and peaches in a first phase.
Ifema has prepared a safe space to guarantee the health of those attending. All of this under a strict protocol, which contemplates measures to organise the flow of visitors and their mobility, establishing capacity limits, safety distances, elimination of direct contact by way of digital registration, as well as special technology for air renewal.
