Event News

As part of Macfrut's internationalisation efforts, around 50 presentations were held around the world. (Image source: Macfrut)

The 41st edition of Macfrut 2024 is all set to welcome the global fruit and vegetable supply chain at the Rimini Expo Centre, from 8-10 May this year

The focus is on the fruit and vegetable supply chain, a strategic sector of the Italian agri-food industry. According to the Institute of Services for the Agricultural Food Market (ISMEA), the production of fruits and vegetables in 2023 was estimated at around 24 million tonnes, on an area of around 1.3 million ha involving 300,000 farms. In terms of consumption, the ISMEA data also shows a decline in bulk purchases of citrus fruits, potatoes and fresh-cut salads. Sales of fruits on the other hand, remained stable while sales of vegetables increased by 1%. 

This year, the international focus will be on the Arabian Peninsula, where an initiative launched three years ago will see the participation of around 100 buyers from the region, mainly interested in apples, kiwis and table grapes. Also from the Arabian Peninsula, Emirates SkyCargo will be attending the trade fair with around 100 buyers to highlight the opportunities for business in the region as a logistics hub.

Moreover, Macfrut's focus on Africa along with the implementation of the 'Mattei Plan' has resulted the trade fair to become increasingly strategic in the government’s international policy. This year's fair will also have a pavilion dedicated to the African continent and will host 400 exhibitors from 24 African countries, mainly growers, but also importers of agricultural technology and technical products for agriculture. Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco, Namibia and Togo will be taking part for the first time. Larger exhibitors include Egypt, Algeria, South Africa, Nigeria, Mozambique and Mali with 37 companies. Along with exhibitors and wholesalers from South America and Spain, 50 top buyers from India will also be attending the event as one of the new participants.  

As part of Macfrut's internationalisation efforts, around 50 presentations were held around the world, both in person and via streaming, made possible with the support of ICE - Italian Trade Agency. Apulia, famous for its excellent fruits and vegetables will also be taking centre stage this year, by being the partner region of Macfrut. With a focus on certified fruits and vegetables, the region will have a major presence at the trade fair, promoting Apulia’s agri-food products through conferences, events, and tastings, and showcasing itself on the international stage.  

Themed exhibitions at the event will include the Macfrut Table Grape Symposium, the world’s leading symposium that will bring together major experts and global players during the three days of the trade fair to take stock of research, market trends, production performance, product innovation and business strategies. In addition, two new exhibitions are planned: the Innovation Hub for Healthy Food, dedicated to sustainable products and processing technologies for the production of foods with high nutritional value, and the Agrisolar Systems & Technologies, showcasing the opportunities offered by photovoltaic energy generation to support agricultural production. There is also the Biosolutions International Event with around 60 exhibitors, making Macfrut the leading event in Europe for natural plant protection, nutrition and biostimulation products.

On the same days as Macfrut, the Africa & Mediterranean Poultry Forum, an international event for the poultry industry will also take place, providing attendees an opportunity to take an in-depth look at the poultry industry and to discuss with institutions and stakeholders how to systematically improve networking throughout the supply chain.

For more information, visit: www.macfrut.com

Dick van Raamsdonk at IFTEX 2023. (Image source: FloralDaily)

This year's edition of IFTEX taking place from 4-6 June in Nairobi, Kenya is expected to be bigger, with the exhibition area being expanded with a large temporary accommodation outdoors

Stricter European requirements for the import of Kenyan flowers have significantly challenged Kenyan growers, who have expressed worries about the consequences it will have for their growth and position in this market. This is where exhibitions like IFTEX come in, by helping them to not only discover other types of flowers, but also discover new markets and lead to more trade. The exhibition is therefore ideal for anyone who is genuinely interested in learning more about the Kenyan flower market.

Competition from the Chinese flower sector coupled with decreased flower consumption in certain markets, along with a change in stance towards flowers by the younger generations, emphasise the importance to take the opportunity to address the floriculture Industry being a sustainable industry. The entire market for cut flowers—from producing to selling—is influenced by various developments including sustainability, with IFTEX being a part of the entire production and marketing chain. 

The fair is getting bigger this year, with the exhibition area undergoing expansion with a large temporary accommodation outdoors. According to the general director of HPP Exhibitions, Dick van Raamsdonk, current developments are not the reason for the increasing number of growers at the fair. “The fair’s growth is mainly due to the increasing number of exhibiting growers. We are happy to see this development as it reconfirms that the IFTEX is a true grower-buyer show," Van Raamsdonk said. "It has always been our goal to bring buyers and suppliers of flowers together. Everything around it is also important, but ultimately, it’s about buying and selling cut flowers.”

For more information, visit: www.iftex.org

Ahmed Mahomed, Datacentrix CEO (left) and Sean Walsh, Agrimark CEO (right). (Image source: Datacentrix)

Leading hybrid ICT systems integrator and managed services provider, Datacentrix was recently recognised as Agrimark's Supplier of the Year for Information Management in 2023

The recent event marked Agrimark’s 12th annual Supplier of the Year Awards ceremony. A total of 32 suppliers across product-specific categories were acknowledged, with winners recognised for excellence across criteria including integrity, customer focus, value proposition and efficiency.

According to Charl Graham, Agrimark’s group manager: Information Management, the company works with approximately 100 suppliers on the Information Management side, with around 20 of these partners considered as being strategic to the business, with a direct effect on its success. The category winners of the Agrimark annual Supplier of the Year Awards are the suppliers with the top aggregate scores over the period.

“The Information Management division measures its suppliers on a monthly basis, based on several parameters. These include ease of doing business, which looks more at the administrative side of the partnership, what the supplier has done over the month to build on the long-term relationship with Agrimark, and their responsiveness,” states Graham. “In addition, we look at innovation, as Agrimark relies heavily on its partners to bring fresh thinking and ideas to the table in their areas of expertise, as well as the business’s ethics.”

For more information, visit: www.datacentrix.co.za

The two-day event in Kampala was an important opportunity to strengthen cooperation between Italy and the African country also in the agricultural mechanics sector. (Image source: EIMA International)

A cognitive event dedicated to Italian agricultural mechanics was held from 21-22 March in Kampala, Uganda

Organised by the Italian Trade Agency and FederUnacoma Association of Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers, the event saw the participation of well-known brands in the agromechanical sector, who showed Ugandan farmers and technicians the most suitable technological solutions to meet their mechanisation needs. The two-day event in Kampala was an important opportunity to strengthen cooperation between Italy and the African country also in the agricultural mechanics sector. 

On the first day of the event, business to business meetings were held between the participating companies and the operators of the African country, which thus had the opportunity to establish a direct line with Italian companies. On the following day, participants visited some important agricultural machinery importers and distributors, thereby getting valuable insights into the characteristics of the distribution network for the agricultural machinery sector in the country.

"Cooperation in the agricultural field between Uganda and Italy is today a priority, a central theme on the political agenda of the two countries, also reiterated by Prime Minister Meloni during the Italy-Africa Summit,” said the Italian Ambassador to Kampala, Mauro Massoni while opening the meeting on 21 March.

The 46th edition of EIMA International—the world exhibition of agricultural mechanics to be held in Bologna from 6-10 November and organised by FederUnacoma—represents an important platform for Italian-Ugandan cooperation. Among the 14 sectors of specialisation and five thematic exhibitions of the event, the Idrotech exhibition is expected to be of particular interest to Ugandan agriculture. In addition to Ugandan farmers, technicians and operators, an official delegation is also expected at EIMA International, whose incoming, organised by ICE Agency, is being planned.

"I believe that, especially in Uganda, a country in which agriculture plays a predominant role in the economy, there is a need to develop local agricultural enterprises, whether large or small, with adequate agricultural mechanisation, able to make local crops productive, ecological and quality, for the necessary food self-sufficiency and for export," said the director of the ICE Office of Addis Ababa, Riccardo Zucconi speaking at the two-day event in Kampala. "I am convinced that the Bologna event can contribute to the strengthening of the agricultural economy of the African country”.

For more information and to register, visit: https://www.eima.it/