A new direction is being taken in 2023 for the fruit and vegetable sorting technology company Futura Srl of Cesena (Forlì-Cesena). We interviewed owner Omar Papi, who is on his way to Fruit Logistica in Berlin.
"This past 2022 was not the best year for us, with a slight drop in turnover of around 6-7% compared to previous years, mainly due to the geopolitical situation in all areas under Russian influence, but also due to the tail end of COVID. On the other hand, in the last quarter of 2022, we noticed a significant upturn of many suspended or postponed offers/transactions, in my opinion also due to the resumption of activities such as fairs, face-to-face meetings, which led to the completion of many orders with deliveries in the first half of 2023. We are already fully saturated with the production until August 2023, and the current negotiations will have deliveries from September onwards.
As early as 2 January, the entire company fully resumed production activities, so that the first orders of the year could be delivered on time. "In January 2023, the company had already delivered plants in Sicily for citrus fruits, in Kenya for avocados, and in India for apples. Just to name a few, the next deliveries to be made will be to the region of Campania for an apple and peach line, KSA and UAE for important plants for tomatoes and peppers, Iran for apples, Uzbekistan for peaches, Kazakhstan for apples, and Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania for avocados."
Omar Papi
"Especially in African countries, where the cost of money is still very high, through the support of SACE, we are also offering deferred payment terms of up to 48 months, without the need for the customer to open letters of credit. This financial 'leverage' is attracting considerable interest among our customers; through our associated office in Nairobi, we manage not only Kenya, but also Uganda and Tanzania."
And regarding the upcoming trade fair in Berlin, "contrary to the last edition, which took place in April due to COVID issues (with a much lower than average turnout), we firmly believe that this year Fruit Logistica will return to its former glory. We have plenty of appointments already scheduled, not only with all our regular customers, but also with many possible new partners who want to become part of Futura. We will be happy to welcome you to our stand, to show you all our innovations and new strategies. You will find us in Hall 1.1 - Stand B-42."
Per maggiori informazioni 
Futura s.r.l.
Via R. Mattioli, 136/156
47522 Cesena (FC) Italy
(+39) 0547-632749
info@futura-tecnology.com
www.futura-grading.com