Spotlight on the fresh produce industry at Macfrut

Today at the Rimini Expo Centre, Minister Francesco Lollobrigida has opened the 42nd edition of the international fruit and vegetable trade fair. From today to 8 May, the trade fair will be packed: 1,400 exhibitors (40% from abroad), 1,500 buyers, themed exhibitions, around 100 events. 

The Italian Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests, Francesco Lollobrigida, has opened today the 42nd edition of Macfrut, the international trade fair for the fruit and vegetable supply chain, which will be held at the Rimini Expo Centre from today to 8 May. 

Macfrut makes Rimini an important international hub for the global fruit and vegetable supply chain, bringing together 1,400 exhibitors (more than 40% of whom will come from abroad) and 1,500 top buyers who will be able to network through a platform, themed exhibitions, and around 100 events on trends and developments in the sector. One of the new features is a large arena dedicated to healthy food, The Healthy Food Show, with 11 Italian celebrity testimonials in conversation with chefs and scientific experts.  

Egypt is the Partner Country, with a large area hosting its 40 companies, while Lazio is the Partner Region of the three-day trade fair, showcasing its 11 PDO and PGI fruit and vegetable products. There will also be three International Symposia (Biotechnology, Potato, Mediterranean Aromatic Plants), themed exhibitions on current and future trends in the sector coordinated by a team of experts, two test fields that focus on innovations applied to field crops, and much more.  

Presenting the key themes of Macfrut was President Renzo Piraccini: “Those who have attended Macfrut are well aware of how the event has taken off since the Covid period, also thanks to our collaboration with the Italian Trade Agency (ICE). The synergy between the 42nd edition of Macfrut, the fruit and vegetable showcase, and the 54th edition of Fieravicola has enabled us to create a true agri-food hub capable of attracting operators from all over the world. Macfrut is the showcase of Italy’s fruit and vegetable supply chain, a cornerstone sector for our country, worth €19 billion, rising to over €60 billion when considering the entire supply chain. And the supply chain is precisely the strength of Italy’s fruit and vegetable system, which has found in Macfrut its ideal showcase, representing every link from seed to table.”  

Representing the Italian Trade Agency (ICE), Maurizio Forte of the Central Export Department added: “ICE has been a strategic partner of Macfrut for several years. Together with the fair, we manage the incoming of international operators and promotional activities in foreign markets to raise awareness of this event. This year, we brought 380 delegates for both Macfrut and Fieravicola; four editions ago, they were about a tenth of that number. There has been a major institutional investment to grow Macfrut and establish it as a leading event not only in Italy but worldwide.” 

Italian fruit and vegetables, a €60 billion supply chain 

The fruit and vegetable sector will take centre stage at the three-day trade fair, whose production in Italy is valued at more than €17 billion, rising to around €60 billion when considering the entire supply chain, from seed to table. Fruit and vegetables account for more than a quarter of Italy’s agricultural production (28%) and, together with canned vegetables, for 18% of Italy’s agri-food exports. The sector comprises 300,000 farms, covering a total area of 1.3 million hectares.  

Export growth reached around €6.5 billion last year (+6.3%). If processed products are included alongside fresh products, the value of exports rises to €12.5 billion. In the medium term, looking at the last five years (2019-2023), fresh produce exports alone have increased by 30.3%.  

The Healthy Food Show with 11 celebrity testimonials 

The trade fair will host a large arena on healthy food, with scientific experts, big names in the culinary world, companies in the sector and 11 celebrity testimonials from well-known sports and entertainment personalities. Macfrut 2025 will feature a brand new event, The Healthy Food Show, comprising five talks with a common theme: raising awareness of the fact that our well-being and health are strongly influenced by what we eat. Innovative fruit and vegetable products with high nutritional value will be in the spotlight.  

Themed exhibitions 

Macfrut has always been a showcase for the latest trends and developments in the sector, with special focus sessions featuring leading experts, researchers and global players from around the world. This year, Macfrut will host three international symposia: the International Symposium on Biotechnological Tools in Horticulture, with 220 participants from 40 countries; the International Potato Symposium, dedicated to the potato, the key product of Macfrut 2025, with 35 speakers from all over Europe and further afield (Egypt and Namibia); and the International Mediterranean Symposium on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, part of Spices & Herbs Global Expo, dedicated to spices, aromatic and medicinal herbs, which will bring together more than 100 scholars from 24 countries. 

The Plant Nursery Area is dedicated to the nursery supply chain with a series of focus sessions (VIP: ‘Varieties International Project’) on genetic improvement and new varieties in modern fruit growing. The Biosolutions International Event, with around 60 exhibitors, makes Macfrut the leading event in Europe for natural products for plant protection, nutrition and biostimulation, while Red Planet focuses exclusively on the tomato supply chain. The Agrisolar Systems & Technologies exhibition will be held alongside Acqua Campus, which will focus on water saving. The dynamic area will also be back with two test fields at Macfrut Field Solutions. New events include Romagna Business Matching, a networking and B2B initiative by Confindustria Romagna, and the Berry Area, dedicated to berries.  

Free entrance ticket: https://guest.macfrut.com/en/account/register  

Read more:

IEMA at Automate 2026: a global partner for industrial automation in North America

22 June 2026

From 22 to 25 June 2026, IEMA will exhibit at Automate 2026 (Booth #1061), one of the world’s leading events dedicated to industrial automation, robotics, and advanced manufacturing technologies. Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Bologna, Italy, IEMA has grown into a structured group comprising 15 specialised companies operating in an integrated manner across the key areas of industrial automation. »

agrofood Ethiopia 2026: Addis Ababa will once again welcome the agrofood and plastprintpack industries to AICC

22 June 2026

From 25 to 27 June 2026, the 8th edition of agrofood Ethiopia will take place at the AICC Addis Int’l Convention Center in Addis Ababa, organised alongside plastprintpack Ethiopia. This year’s edition returns to AICC and is set to be an important meeting place for companies involved in agriculture, food and beverage processing, hospitality, as well as packaging and printing technologies. »

Africa Food Show Kenya 2026 joins forces with Hotel Expo and the coffee industry

22 June 2026

Africa Food Show Kenya has announced its next edition as a co-located event with Hotel Expo, creating one of the most comprehensive platforms for the food, hospitality, and tourism sectors in East Africa. In addition, the Baristas Association of Kenya joins as an official industry partner, further strengthening the show’s position as a full-spectrum platform for Kenya’s food and hospitality ecosystem. »