Macfrut started a new journey in Rimini and it beat visitor records, with many international delegations present
The first edition of Macfrut’s “new route”, held at the Rimini Trade Fair at the beginning of October, indicates that the event has received a record number of visitors: 39,000, a figure that has never been reached in the 32 years of the fair’s history. But beyond the increase in visitors, their variety is the point that has made the change in Macfrut visible. In addition to this, one exhibitor out of every five came from another country, corroborating the international value of the trade fair.
“This exceptional result has been a reflection of what we can do if the sector remains united. We are at the beginning of a new route that is leading Macfrut to become an internationally acclaimed trade fair, amongst the leading fairs in the world. In Cairo, next May we will join Fruit Attraction for the first edition of Mac Fruit Attraction”, Renzo Piraccini, Chairman of the Cesena Trade Fair explained.
Macfrut has been a success for foreign delegations, where countries such as Ecuador, Iran, Poland, Mexico and the Dominican Republic stood out with particular strength.
The greatest satisfaction was that of Pro Ecuador, present with 13 leading companies in the plantain sector. The Iranian delegation also showed a positive balance, as it was the star of a meeting reserved for Italian businessmen. However, the country that really honoured the 32nd edition of Macfrut was the Dominican Republic. The colourful Central American delegation was made up of 50 people, between workers and visitors.
European coordination. In a world that is becoming more and more globalised, the inter-professional organisations from all the countries also need greater coordination between them in order to be able to place their requests in a homogenous way in Europe and have greater power when facing the large retailers. This was discussed, along with the need to create European coordination at the meeting organised by Ortofrutta Italia, held during Macfrut: “The role of the fruit and vegetable grower inter-professional organisations in the sector’s relations and a possible European coordination. Compared experiences from Spain, France, Italy and Hungary.” “Large-scale Organised Distribution has an ever-increasing capacity to impose its own conditions on agricultural companies and inter-professional organisations and not only about prices, but also about packaging and quality regulations”, Juan Colomina from Hortyfruta (Almeria) explained.
