Yesterday saw the opening of Fruit Attraction 2023 in Madrid and the number of stand-holders and visitors are said to be up on last year.
The second day is traditionally the busiest, but stand-holders seems pleased with visitor numbers on the opening day. There have been a few changes in Halls for some of the countries, but on the whole people are content with the moves.
The fair organization also announced its plans to start a Brazilian version of the fair in April 2024
The Polish exhibitors in Hall 8 had a great first day. The lower apple production in India has caused a lot of demand from India, but also other Asian countries such as Bangladesh. Surprisingly they also had a lot of traffic from Latin American visitors, also looking for new suppliers of apples.
The Turkish exhibitors weren't too happy with their location in Hall 1 at first, but they will wait to see if traffic is still good in this Hall. The heatwave did cause some supply issues with the summer fruit, but looking ahead at their citrus season, they are expecting a good one.
The Portuguese had a great first day, they felt their location in Hall 8 was already giving them good traffic on the first day, although the walnut exporters did state most visitors were looking for fresh fruits, and not nuts.
The Dutch pavilion, like the Belgians, moved from hall 10 to 6. There were more Dutch exhibitors than in previous years. They had a a busy first day and expect Wednesday to be the busiest day at the fair. It is expected that some Dutch people may leave early, because many produce workers have booked a ticket for the Atletico Madrid - Feijenoord match on Wednesday evening. The fair in sunny Madrid was once again ideal for seasonal appointments, with soft fruit traders in particular keen to get hold of them because of the availability. The greenhouse vegetable season starts a little later and here are plenty of persimmons on the market.
The Andalusia companies have demonstrated their strength in the face of the difficult times that the drought has put them through, which has impacted many of their main businesses products, including citrus fruits, garlic, asparagus and subtropical fruits.
There have been less innovations on show as traders have concentrated on their core products which are extensive, although intense commercial activity was widely experienced during the day.
Prices are high for almost all products because of the impact of the climate in Spain or other regions, as well as the high costs. This year several companies merged making bigger groups in order to have more capacity to supply the European retailers, which are also becoming bigger. This has led to the sector changing and reorganizing.
Also bigger stands representing several companies in one big group, was more common this year.
The Italian presence was on the rise again this year, with many companies and some collectives participating for the first time. The main topic this year among the various stands is the weather, which is affecting agricultural production. First the rains then the drought are putting programming at risk. Sharing, new relationships and B2B meetings are the watchwords for the world of wholesalers.
Italian grape producers are reflecting on what could be considered a quite exceptional season. In general, whether seedless or seeded, prices are high against a 30% drop in production. As for citrus fruits, a good campaign is expected at least for oranges, considering the global shortages. The lemon campaign will be more difficult. There is also less optimism among pear producers and traders. Prospects are good for apples, organic and conventional, but expectations are diminished for kiwifruit: 'with less product and slightly smaller sizes, but quality is not lacking,' reports one exhibitor.
There is no shortage of trends in sustainable, recyclable and eco-friendly packaging. For instance, compostable films and heat-sealable paper are in great demand.
The French are also in Hall 6 with 138 exhibitors, a big increase on last year. Some French exhibitors say they are happy to share the hall with the Dutch because there will be more visibility..
The French see Fruit Attraction as the new place to be. The stand- holders have brought a whole range of products and for apples there is lot of effort going into winning back young consumers as there has been a drop in consumption in this demographic.
FreshPlaza will have more updates from Fruit Attraction as well as our famous photo report on Friday!
