Eastern Europe will be the next destination of the road shows scheduled by the organisers of Macfrut 2018 in cooperation with the banking group UniCredit, i.e. the main sponsor and business partner of the event for the fourth year in a row. Three stages are to be held in Eastern Europe in the capital cities of Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria, where the fruit and vegetable sector is experiencing renewed growth.
The tour will begin on Tuesday, 27 February in Zagreb. It will then stop in Belgrade on Thursday, 1 March and will end on Tuesday, 6 March in Sofia. During these events, the novelties of the upcoming edition of Macfrut (9-11 May at the Rimini Expo Centre) will be illustrated, with a special focus on the new frontiers of protected horticulture and fruit and vegetable technology, a field in which Italy is a leading player.
'Over the years, the road shows held in Eastern European countries, in cooperation with UniCredit, have been met with great enthusiasm while showing potential business opportunities,' Renzo Piraccini, President of Macfrut, explained. 'The fruit and vegetable sector is experiencing renewed growth throughout Eastern Europe, transitioning from a traditional production system for the local market to fruit and vegetables for the global market. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in areas such as plant nurseries, new pre- and post-harvest technology and packaging. These countries are also important export markets for our fruit and vegetables, since they are well served by the main European supermarket chains.'
Macfrut's international leadership and Eastern Europe's interest in the fruit and vegetable trade fair are demonstrated by the fact that, in the last few editions, 34% of foreign visitors were from Eastern Europe (31% in 2016) as well as many exhibitors (11%).