Various foreign operators and delegations attended the international fresh produce fair Macfrut 2022. FreshPlaza talked to some of them to get their feedback.
Venezuela
The Venezuelan Vice-minister for Foreign Trade and Investment Promotion Héctor Silva attended. Venezuela offers a wide range of fresh and processed vegetables and tropical fruits and is looking for technology. "Our country intends to import production supplies, some raw materials and the machinery needed to make production processes more efficient and competitive. We want to establish new relationships with Italy, so we hope Macfrut will become a regular event for us."
Angola
At the fair, Angola discussed products such as papayas, bananas and various types of avocadoes. "We managed to showcase the many business opportunities our country provides. There was a lot of interest also for processed products. We believe this fair will grow, especially when it comes to the innovation of machinery destined to agriculture. We hope the various embassies will continue to talk to enable the exchange of more products and develop trade opportunities," explained José Chinjamba, administrator of Aipex.
Chile
"As for Chile, there was a boom for dried plums: we had a lot of daily meetings with interested companies and signed agreements for the supply of containers of goods directly at the fair. Dried plums from Chile are an excellent product, you can immediately taste their quality," reported Vittorio Macaluso from the Chilean trade office in Italy. For exports in Italy, there is a lot of demand for Abate and Coscia pears, grapes, apples and blueberries. Chilean cherries arrive in Italy in December, a strategic period for the Italian market. "For Chile, this fair is very important."
Cuba
A stand from Cuba was present for the second year. "We chose to focus on mamey sapote and it was a winning choice: a lot of visitors came to us to learn more about this tropical fruit which boasts a myriad of beneficial properties and a sweet flesh," says Lidia Ana Dominguez Febles, market assistant analyst for Oficina La Habana. "Plus, as this edition focused on spices and aromatic herbs, we promoted ours: there was a lot of demand for tarragon, turmeric, habanero and spice mixes. Macfrut continues to grow and confirms itself as a strategic business choice."
Senegal
"For Senegal, this event is very important when it comes to trade with Europe. We made contacts with companies interested in knowing our produce, especially mangos, lemons, melons and avocadoes. These products are requested by the European market and especially Italy, France, Spain and the Netherlands," explained Oumar Sow, general director at Agronegoce.
Zimbabwe
Kupakwashe Midzi, Zimtrade Client Advisor from Zimbabwe, said that "Macfrut has grown a lot. We initially took part with 5 companies and have now taken part with 10. We are very pleased, because things have grown exponentially. It also represents the perfect occasion to get up to date with how Italy is doing, which is technologically very advanced when it comes to equipment. For us, this is an occasion to understand how Italy is growing and what we can learn from it. We believe this experience is very positive."
Repubblica Dominicana
The feedback was good from the Dominican Republic as well, which has been attending Macfrut since 2015. The Ministry of Agriculture attended this edition with the joint presence of two vice-ministers.
For further information:
www.macfrut.com